Hard determinism

Question 1

McFee’s view

Answer 1

• “plausible idea that one is responsible for one’s actions in ways that one is not responsible for mere bodily happenings”
• leg reflex

Question 2

Evaluation on McFee

Answer 2

• can be taken into another realm of extremity

- also reflects are involuntary and determinism is based on non-voluntary actions

Question 3

Pinker’s view

Answer 3

NEUROSCIENCE

• “study of how cognition and emotion are implemented on the brain”
• have knowledge about this through the physical structure of the brain
• having a smaller and less active prefrontal cortex- violent psychopath

Question 4

Evaluation on Pinker

Answer 4

• we don’t necessarily have to act on it
• majority of our behaviours are dependent on the society you were brought up in- being brought up in a society where violence is normal you are more likely to exercise that part of your brain
• undermines the entire concept of responsibility

Question 5

Spinoza’s view

Answer 5

• we are behind a “vail of ignorance” where we believe we are free but we are deluding ourselves
  CP: relies on Newtonian laws for determinism, but those are undermined by quantum physics which underpins the atomic world (arguably quantum is predictably random?)