Free Will and Determinism

Question 1

What could the difference between actual and moral freedom relate to?

Answer 1

Physics, genetics or it could be against the law or deviant.

Question 2

What do we have freedom to choose for?

Answer 2

Where we go and what we do, morals, beliefs, fashion sence, health, whether we follow laws etc.

Question 3

What is decided for us?

Answer 3

Influential figures, law based actions, genetics, upbringing, taste buds, following a religion, peer pressure, economic background, culture etc.

Question 4

What is the Theory of Universal Causation?

Answer 4

The idea that everything in the universe has a cause, and each of these causes are uncontrollable and unpredictable.

Question 5

What questions may the Theory of Universal Causation raise?

Answer 5

Do humans possess free will? If they don’t, then they cannot be held morally responsible for their actions? If this is true, the mortality becomes meaningless.

Question 6

When can you be non-moral?

Answer 6

When the action is: physically impossible, logically impossible, if I am forced or if I suffer from a neurosis.

Question 7

What do hard determinists accept and reject?

Answer 7

Accept determinism ad reject free will.

Question 8

What do liberationists accept and reject?

Answer 8

Accept free will and reject determinism.

Question 9

What do soft determinists accept and reject?

Answer 9

Argue that determinism and free will can co-exist.

Question 10

Define autonomous/autonomy/free will

Answer 10

Self-rule or self-government. The term is made up of ‘auto’ meaning ‘self’ and ‘no moms’ meaning ‘rule’. Many philosophers, such as Kant, hold that you can only be responsible for actions that you undertake of your own will.

Question 11

Define determinism

Answer 11

The belief that choices are influenced by factors other than the will of the individual.

Question 12

Define hard determinism

Answer 12

The belief that people do not have free will to act in moral situations and that all moral actions have uncontrollable priori causes. Humans therefore cannot be morally blameworthy for their actions because their actions are determined.

Question 13

Define libertarianism

Answer 13

The belief that humans are free to make moral choices and are therefore morally responsible.

Question 14

Define liberty

Answer 14

Freedom

Question 15

Define moral responsibility

Answer 15

Our blameworthiness or praiseworthiness for actions.

Question 16

Define predestination

Answer 16

The belief that God has decided who will and will not enter heaven.

Question 17

Define soft determinism

Answer 17

The belief that some actions are determined but we still have moral responsibility.

Question 18

What limitations to our freedom are there?

Answer 18

The laws of nature, our physical attributes and the laws of the state and society’s rules.

Question 19

Explain who Sir Isaac Newton is in relation to hard determinism and physical determinism

Answer 19

Lived from 1643-1727 and is most famous for ‘discovering’ gravity. He wrote a book called ‘Principal Mathematica’, which explains load of motion, momentum and classical mechanics, so therefore he takes a mechanistic view!

Question 20

What was Newtons debate based on?

Answer 20

The idea of cause and effect. This is a scientific view of the world: observable events are subject to the laws of nature and knowledge is based on the idea that events can be predicted by previous events.

Question 21

Explain philosophers in relation to hard determinism and psychological determinism

Answer 21

John B Walters: ‘behaviouralism’, which is the idea that all our behaviour is determined by nature and nurture.
Ivan Pavlov: uses the example of ‘social conditioning’ on dogs.
B. F. Skinner: investigated behaviour modification through rewards and punishments, tested on rats.

Question 22

Explain philosophers in relation to hard determinism and biological determinism

Answer 22

Thinkers such as Steven Pinker/Richard Dawkins take on the idea of the ‘Milgram Experiment’ further drawing on Darwin’s ideas. Darwin talks of ‘the selfish gene’ where our emotions like guilt, love, anger, pity and so on are genetically biological traits that fulfil evolutionary purposes. But neither thinkers believe this gets rid of moral responsibility though!

Question 23

How does genetics tie in with biological determinism?

Answer 23

Genetics is a developing science that is linking with: sexual preferences, behavioural attitudes and future illnesses.

Question 24

How is determinism and the law interconnected?

Answer 24

Determinism has been used in criminal cases as a justification for a lesser punishment went demonstrated that the accuser was not in full control of themselves.

Question 25

Explain the story of Clarence Darrow: Leopoldo and Leob

Answer 25

A murder took place in Chicago in the 1920’s, whereby they kidnapped 14 year old Bobby Franks and then murdered him whilst he was on this way home from school. However the murderers were 2 teenager males of privileged backgrounds.

Question 26

Explain the story of Mary Bell

Answer 26

A double killing took place in 1960’s, where 10 year old Mary strangled and killed 2 young boys of ages 3 and 4. However because of her background and family history, her nurture made her seen to have diminished responsibility.

Question 27

Explain the story of Dan White

Answer 27

An assassination took place in San Francisco in the 1970’s towards the town mayor and supervisor and was then convicted of manslaughter. But he did suffer from depression and wasn’t done for a first degree murder as he was seen to have a diminished capacity.

Question 28

Whats Robert Kane’s view of moral responsibility?

Answer 28

He describes moral responsibility as requiring the possibility of an alternative future. “A garden of forking paths”.In other words, in order to judge someone they need the ability to have done otherwise.