I and D: free will vs determinism Flashcards
(10 cards)
define free will
- Free will is the notion that humans can make choices and are not determined by internal or external forces.
- Belief in free will argues that there may be biological and environmental forces that exert some influence on our behaviour, but we can reject these forces as the masters of our own destiny
define determinism
we have no choice over our actions
our behaviour is shaped by internal and external forces
explain hard determinism
- sees free will as an illusion > every event has a cause
- behaviour is governed by internal and external forces that we can’t control
- it should be possible to find the cause of all behaviour
explain soft determinism
William James: behaviour and traits are governed by internal and external forces to an extent but we have some element of control over our behvaiour
types of hard determinism
- biological: governed by genetics, hormones and involuntary influences that we can’t control
- environmental: governed by environmental factors like punishment and reward that we can’t control
- psychic: behaviour is governed by unconscious conflicts that we repressed in childhood
explain scientific emphasis on causal explanations
determinism allows for a c and e relationship > it suggests behaviour is governed by internal or external forces > this means we can predict behaviour
allows us to test behaviour with lab experiments and control EVs so we can find c and e
This allows us to establish general laws on human behaviour
AO3: case against determinism
psychologists often reject determinism as it provides potential excuse for criminal actions
eg: in 1981 Stephen Mobley argued he was ‘born to kill’ after killing a pizza shop manager > said his family had disposition towards violent aggressive behaviour
court rejected this and gave him lethal injection
WEAKNESS as a truly deterministic view is undesirable as it excuses crimes and removes responsibility and shows determinism is incompatible with law
AO3: case for determinism
it’s consistent with aims of science
allows general laws to be established
prediction of behaviour has led to development of therapy, treatments and intervention
EG: drug therapy uses SSRIs to manage SZ
conditions like SZ suggest the patient loses control of behaviour and has no free will, so some behaviours caused by mental health are deterministic
case for free will
has positive benefits for individuals
study by Roberts et al showed adolescents with strong beliefs in fatalism were at higher risk of depression > this shows high degrees of internal locus of control is healthier
STRENGTH even if we don’t have free will thinking that we do has a positive impact
case against free will
believing in free will allows people to feel control over their mental condition
Patients feel empowered, responsible and it removes a sense of helplessness that their condition may be inevitable.
However believing in free will suggests that patients have a choice and they are responsible for their mental health disorders. This creates stigma as we no longer see mental health disorders as medical concepts that needs specialist treatment.