Holism, Reductionism, Free will and Determinism Flashcards
What is Reductionism?
The belief that human behaviour can be broken down into its constituent parts
How can we evaluate Reductionism?
+It can help us to find the effects of specific factors on human behaviour
-It often misses out many aspects of the person, doesn’t consider other angles
What is Holism?
The idea that a person should be studied as a whole, rather than focusing on individual attributes or experiences
How can we evaluate Holism?
+Covers every angle of a person- doesn’t just focus on one thing
- Sometimes doesn’t look too deeply into specific things, crucial details can be missed
- Is harder to test and/or produce evidence than it is for reductionism
What is Determinism
The idea that the things we do and the ways we act are governed by our genotype, our experiences and our environment
How can we evaluate Determinism?
+is often easier to test(?)
-Is a very pessimistic way of viewing things- suggests that humans don’t have any control over their actions
What is Free will?
The idea that we, as individuals, act of our own accord and that our environment does not dictate everything we do
How can we evaluate Free Will?
+The idea of free will is a lot more optimistic than determinism- suggesting that people can change and grow
-Cannot be proven
