Free Will and Determinism Flashcards
What is hard determinism?
They believe we are not free and so can’t be held morally responsible for our actions. We might feel free but that is only because I don’t know the causes of the action.
What is physical determinism?
Theory proposed by Sir Isaac Newton. Knowledge of starting conditions and relevant laws means successful prediction. e.g. penny will go the ground if you drop it because of gravity. Based on cause and effect. Observable events are subject to the laws of nature. Knowledge is based on the idea that events can be predicted by previous events.
How does physical determinism support hard determinism?
We are governed by the same physical laws as the natural world, theory of universal causation, everything is essentially predictable.
What is the idea of psychological determinism?
We are all deeply socially determined. Gained strength with the modern development of social science disciplines.
What did John B Watson propose?
Behavior is determined by nature and nurture. “I’ll guarantee to take any healthy infant at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select.” Behaviorism 1930.
What was Pavlov’s theory?
He studied dogs. Before conditioning the dog would saliva when seeing food and when it heard a bell it wouldn’t saliva. When there was a food, he would ring a bell. Then the dog salivated just at hearing a bell, showing we are socially conditioned.
What did B.F Skinner propose?
Investigated behaviour modification through reward and punishment called operant conditioning. Claimed that behaivoural science develops and psychologists learn to determine and control human behavior, especially through reward and punishment. It is highly probable human behavior isn’t free, but determined.
What was the milligram experiement?
Started in 1961 when the trial of Eichmann the Nazi war criminal started. Test responses to authority, just following orders, could it be that Eichmann and war criminals were just following orders? 65% of people administered the 450v fatal electric shock, ordinary members of the public pressured to do so for an experiment. We are deeply socially determined.
What is biological determinism?
Steven Pinker and Richard Dawkins worked on Drawin’s principle of survival. We are influenced by guilt, anger and love and biology changes this behaivour, socio economic background, genetics and culture, influences on it. No diminished responsibility for our actions though. We might be able to predict outcomes and we are determined by our biology.
What did Richard Dawkins think?
He thought we have a selfish gene and we are only morally nice to people, because the more people support us the higher our chance of survival. Emotions like guilt are genetic biological traits that fulfill evolutionary purposes, but still moral responsibility. Genetics link with sexual preference, behavioural attitudes like addictions and future illnesses like cancer,
What did Spinoza think?
Men think they are free, because “they know conditions of their actions and ignorant of the cause of them.” The mind is determined to will free will. There is a cycle of actions, you do an action caused by something that’s caused by something else. God is the cause of all things. Open theory, allows for all causes to work.
What did John Hospers think?
There is always something externally or internally that compels us to perform an action, but we think we have free will. He uses psychoanalytical examples to conclude “its all just a matter of luck.”
What Clarence Darrow say to defend Loeb and Leopold?
Leopold and Loeb were a product of their upbringing, their ancestry and their wealthy environment mean they are not morally responsible. ‘ punishment as punishment is only admissible if the offender has free will to select his course.’
What was the case of Leopold and Loeb?
In 1924 they kidnapped 14 year old Bobby Franks, they demanded a ransom of £10,000 to the family or he would be killed. They murdered him and left the dead body in a lake. There was a pair of glasses left and only 3 pairs of glasses made so traced back. Both from wealthy Jewish families, wanted to commit the perfect motiveless crime. Their alibis broke down and they confessed to the crime in detail. They planned the crime and were influenced by German philosophers like Friedrich Neitzche. CD defended them so got life imprisonment not the death sentence.
What happened in the case of Mary Bell?
Her mother was a prostitute specializing in sado masochism and she was forced to listen. She is thought to have been sexually abused by her mother. In 1968 age 11 she strangled 2 toddlers “solely for the pleasure and excitement of killing”. She was found guilty and broke down and wept. She got diminished responsibility and was charged not guilty. She was found to have a psychopathic disorder and was sent to a children’s institution. She was given a new identity and had a daughter, they were granted lifelong anonymity.
What was John Locke’s theory of the locked room?
There was a sleeping man in a locked room. He awakened and decided to stay, not knowing the door is locked. He thinks it is a real decision, but he is just ignorant to the condition that might have changed his mind. We think we are free when we decided to do an action but we are not. Free will is an illusion, we are causally determined: effects of previous causes, back and back, can’t be held responsible.
What did D’Holbach think?
Freedom is an illusion: “ You will say that I feel free, This is an illusion, which may be compared to that of a fly in the fable, who upon the pole of a heavy carriage, applauded himself for directing its course. Man who thinks himself free is a fly who imagines he has power to move the universe, while is himself unknowingly carried along by it.”
What did Voltaire say?
” Pear trees cannot bear bananas. The instincts of a spaniel cannot be the instincts of an ostrich. Everything is planned, connected and limited.”
What did Honderich think?
” All our choices, decisions, intentions, pre mental events and our actions are no more than effects of other equally necessitated events.” There is no moral responsibility or self, just psycho neural events. Everything is determined.
What is theological determinism?
The idea of pre destination that God has decided what everyone’s fate will be. God has chosen who will be saved and who will not be saved. God has given us free will.
What does the book of Genesis say about free will?
God gave humanity the ability and right to make choices. Adam and Eve only culpable if they had the ability to chose their actions. Without free will, God couldn’t condemn or commend actions of humanity.
Hows does God’s omniscience this work with free will?
What did St Augustine of Hippo think?
He formed a controversy to Pelagius. He thought grace is a supernatural free gift from God. God brings humanity to salvation. The sin of Adam is fully paid in Jesus’ death, a free gift from God. All we do to receive the gift is believe in God. Only the chosen and elected by God are saved, we don’t know who has been chosen, so we all must live good lives. God knows all our choices and decisions, although we make them freely, God is omnipotent. How we live our lives is in our control. “ The potter has authority over the clay.” By the grace of God people hear the gospel and are saved.
What did Pelagius think?
He started preaching in Rome, authorities realised he was preaching a different gospel to the apostles. Stated humans were responsible for their own salvation which they gain through their own efforts. Found favour in certain quarters in the Christian church, especially by those who saw deteriorations in morality among its members.
Makes nonsense of the Christian doctrine of salvation and pre destination.
