Free Will and Determinism Notes

Question 1

“Hourly I howl the change in my fate.” Is said by who?

Answer 1

Kata Szidonia Petroczi

Question 2

As humans we generally believe that we have free will, but in a universe where __________ is the norm, is it possible that we might have ______ to act independently?

Answer 2

causality, freedom

Question 3

Determinism is

Answer 3

the view that our actions are determined by forces that are beyond our control.

Question 4

One form of determinism argues that since all events are caused by events which precede them, any action can only be the result of _______ conditions.

Answer 4

previous

Question 5

The 19th century scientist and mathematician _____ _______ ______ wrote that if there was an intelligence great enough to know all of the forces acting in nature at any moment in time, that intelligence would be able to predict the _____.

Answer 5

Pierre Simon Laplace, future

Question 6

Laplace argued that every event is _____ by previous events, ___________ causality.

Answer 6

caused, universal

Question 7

Laplace described the universe as a complete and __________ system and that the human belief in chance events arises from our ______ of the causes of that ‘chance’ event.

Answer 7

integrated, ignorance

Question 8

Laplace cited the appearance of _____, believed in the ancient world to be chance events, but later proved to be traveling on ________ flight paths.

Answer 8

comets, determined

Question 9

Laplace believed that humans were similarly governed and freedom was an _________.

Answer 9

illusion

Question 10

Every human action, no matter how grand or ___________, has a set of causes.

Answer 10

insignificant

Question 11

It is impossible to avoid the forces of _________.

Answer 11

causality

Question 12

Psychoanalytical __________ are convinced the causes of our adult behaviour can be found in our __________, and other deterministics believe the behaviours of our youth are caused by our ________ blueprint.

Answer 12

psychologists, childhood, genetic

Question 13

Behavioural psychologist _________ argued that every human action was the product of a specific genetic blueprint or of reinforcing experiences.

Answer 13

B.F. Skinner

Question 14

To Skinner, our belief in free will was based on ___________.

Answer 14

superstition

Question 15

Baruch __________ argued that we are conscious of our desires but __________ of the causes of those desires much as baby may feel it has chosen to desire ____.

Answer 15

Spinoza, unconscious, milk

Question 16

“Freedom is not for the ________.”

Answer 16

timid

Question 17

Libertarianism is

Answer 17

the belief that we have free will and can make free choices in life.

Question 18

Some examples of libertairianism are we can choose:

Answer 18

to buy an ice cream cone, to attend school, to marry or to become a truck driver, or not.

Question 19

Existentialist philosophers such as ______ have told us that we must accept this freedom, and the __________ that go with it whether we like it or not.

Answer 19

Sartre, responsibilities

Question 20

Many religions, such as _________, assume that all humans have the choice to do good or evil with their lives.

Answer 20

Christianity

Question 21

The Buddha can only tell you the way; it is for _________ to make the effort.

Answer 21

yourself

Question 22

Compatibilism/Soft Determinism attempts to

Answer 22

reconcile freedom with determinism.

Question 23

Compatibilism/Soft Determinism suggests that

Answer 23

while outside force do indeed act on us, an individual is still free to make a decision based on their desires and wishes.

Question 24

to a Nihilists, life is

Answer 24

meaningless and absurd. All the choices that you make are pointless, and our lives and the decisions we make seem to matter is only an illusion.

Question 25

How do soft determinists agree with determinists?

Answer 25

everything is influenced and has a cause

Question 26

How do soft determinists agree with libertarianists?

Answer 26

some human actions are free.

Question 27

How do soft determinists disagree with libertarianists?

Answer 27

not all human actions are free, ex. sneezing because of an allergy vs. sneezing to pretend you have a cold

Question 28

How do soft determinists disagree with deteminists?

Answer 28

not everything is determined in life, set in stone.