free will vs determinism Flashcards
free will
human beings are essentially self-determining, free to choose our own thoughts and actions. Reject biological and environmental forces through our own choices.
determinism
behaviour is shaped by internal and external forces. Free will has no place in explaining behaviour.
hard determinism
implies that free will is not possible as our behaviour is always caused by internal or external events beyond our control.
soft determinism
all events, including human behaviour, have causes, but there is room for personal choice from a limited range of possibilities (restricted free will).
biological determinism
behaviour is caused by biology (genes, hormones, neurotransmitters, evolution) and these are influences which we cannot control.
environmental determinism
behaviour is caused by features of the environment (reward and punishment) that we cannot control.
psychic determinism
behaviour is determined and directed by the unconscious mind.
case for determinism
allows us to be scientific meaning we can make predictions about behaviour, has some real world application particularly when it comes to treatment and therapy for disorders therefore we can find a cause for behaviour then offer treatment.
case against determinism
cannot test whether something is determined or not, cannot make general ideas that all behaviour has a cause.
case for free will
has face validity (the idea of does something make sense?), makes sense to a lot of people, the justice system relies on free will, links with internal locus of control, research shows that people who believe in free will have better mental health.
case against free will
unfalsifiable (cannot be tested), research showed participant’s brain activity using a brain scan made a decision up to 10 seconds before they were aware they had to make a decision.
