Free will vs Determinism Flashcards
What is free will?
Free will is the notion that humans make choices, not determined by biological external forces
What is an example of free will?
An example of free will is the humanistic approach which states we have the power to choose anything we want to do in life and how we behave. For example, people who have depression would have the power to get over the feeling they are having
What is determinism?
The view that an individual’s behaviour being shaped or controlled by internal or external forces
What are the five types of determinism?
- Hard determinism
- Soft determinism
- Biological determinism
- Environmental determinism
- Psychic determinism
What is hard and soft determinism called and what do they involve?
There is
1) Hard determinism - implies that free will is not possible as our behaviour is shaped or controlled by internal or external forces rather than individual’s will. Referred to as fatalism
2) Soft determinism - suggests all human behaviour/events have a cause but states behaviour can also be determined by our conscious choices in the absence of coercion
What do hard determinist argue about behaviour?
Hard determinists suggests all human behaviour has a cause and all behaviour is dictated by internal or external forces beyond control.
What did William Jones argue about soft determinism?
William introduced the concept of soft determinism, acknowledging all human action has a cause but allows for conscious mental control over the way they behave
What did James state about soft determinism?
James thought whilst scientist explain the many determining forces that act upon us, this did not affect the freedom we had to make rational conscious choices
What is biological determinism?
The belief that behaviour is controlled by biological influences (genetics/hormones) that we cannot control
What does the biological deterministic approach state?
The biological deterministic approach states many of our physiological and neurological processes are not under our conscious control. Some behaviours also thought to have genetic basises. Modern biopsychologists recognise the mediating influence of the environment on our biological structure, meaning we are simply doubly determined in ways we cannot control
In the biological deterministic approach, there is a hard determinism and soft determinism. What are the key words associated with each type and what do they refer to?
Include an example
The biological hard determinism approach involves:
Genetic fixity = This is the idea that a child’s characteristics are simply a combination of the inherited genes from both parents
EG: eye colour
The biological soft determinism approach involves:
Innate capacity = This is the idea that genetics provide us with limits to our abilities, what happens in the environment determines whether those limits are reached
EG: being good at maths
What is psychic determinism?
The belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts that we cannot control
What does the psychic determinists argue about behaviour?
Freud agreed “free will was an illusion” but put more emphasis on the influence of biological drives and instincts than the behaviours. Freud stated human behaviour was determined and directed by unconscious conflicts, as a result there was no such thing as a slip of the tongue as it cxoujdl be explained by the underlying authority of the unconscious
What is environmental determinism?
The belief that behavior is caused by features of the environment that we cannot control
What do environmental determinists argue about behaviour?
Skinner described free will as an “illusion” and argued behaviour resulted from conditioning. Humans experience of choice was just a sum total of reinforcement contingencies that have acted upon us throughout our lives. We may think we act independently, but our behaviour is shaped by environmental events as well as agents of socialisation `
