Free Will and Determinism Flashcards
1
Q
what is free will?
A
- human care self setermining
doesn’t deny environmental and biological influences, but we can ultimately reject these forces
2
Q
what is hard determinism?
A
- all behaviour has cause
- relates to sciences as it aims to uncover laws of actions
- everything we do is determined by uncontrollable force
3
Q
what is soft determinism?
A
- james (1890) said behaviour has cause but says there is also conscious mental control
- still freedom to make rational everyday forces
4
Q
biological determinism?
A
- brain and neurological processes not under our control
- mental disorders have genetic basis
- recognise influence of environment on biblical structures
5
Q
what is environmental determinism?
A
- skinner describe free will as illusion, behaviour a result of conditioning
- behaviour shaped by environmental events
6
Q
what is psychic determinism?
A
- freud agreed free will was illusion but emphasised influence of biblical drives
- behaviour determined by unconscious conflict from childhood
7
Q
+ for free will (face validity)
A
- everyday decision main gives face validity
- robert (00) found kids believing in fatalism more likely to be depressed
- even illusion of free will can have positive effect
8
Q
- against free will (brain makes uncurious decisions)
A
- soon (08) found when deciding wither to press left or right button, brain decides 10 sends before were aware
- appears to be free will but determined by brain
9
Q
+ for determinism (better understanding means better treatments)
A
- consistent with aims of science to make laws
- better understanding of human behaviour means better therapy for things like schizophrenia
- when they lose control of their thoughts it isn’t free will - mental illness is determined
10
Q
- against determinism (goes against the law)
A
- offenders left accountable for actions
- determinism unfalsifiable as based on idea that cause of behaviour existing even if its impossible to prove (not scientific enough)
