Free will vs Determinism Flashcards
What is free will?
Free will refers to humans being able to make their own choices and that these choices are not determined by biological and external factors
What is determinism?
It suggests that we do not exercise free will and our behaviour is shaped or controlled by internal or external factors
What is hard determinism?
All, human behaviour has a cause and it should be possible to identify and describe these causes. It assumes that everything we think and do is dictated by internal or external forces that we cannot control
What is soft determinism?
All human action has a cause but people can have conscious mental control over the way they behave
What is biological determinism?
The belief that behaviour is controlled by biological aspects (genetics and evolutionary). Physiological and neurological processes are not under conscious control
What approach shows biological determinism?
The biological approach
What is environmental determinism?
The belief that behaviour is caused by features of the environment and we are shaped by environmental events and agents of socialisation
What approach supports environmental determinism?
Learning approaches
What is psychic determinism?
The belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts that we cannot control. It’s determined and directed by unconscious conflicts repressed in childhood
What approach supports psychic determinism?
Psychodynamic approach
What are two strengths of determinism?
It is consistent with the aims of science and it has led to the development of treatment, therapies and behaviour interventions
What are two limitations of determinism?
If our behaviour was controlled by other factors then our legal system would acknowledge this and it’s unfalsifiable which means that it cannot be proved true
What are two strengths of free will?
It’s supported by our individual experiences as it makes sense and people who have an internal locus of control influence their own behaviour
What is a limitation of free will?
Neurological studies on decision making have revealed that free will may not exist when it comes to decision making (chun siong soon et al)
What does the relationship example suggest?
The evolutionary advantage is determinist but cultural differences show that there may be free will
