Free Will vs Determinism Debate

What Is Free will?

Humans can make choices and are not determined by internal or external factors

What is Determinism?

Our behaviour is shaped and controlled by internal and external factors rather that free will

What is hard determinism?

Our behaviour is purely shaped by internal or external factors and free will is an illusion

What is soft determinism?

Behaviour may be influenced by internal or external forces however there is still room for free will and choice ( restricted free will)

What is biological determinism?

Or behaviour is called by biological processes such as genetics and hormones and we cannot control them

What is environmental determinism?

Our behaviour is caused by our environment such as systems of reward and punishment

What is psychic determinism?

Our behaviour is influenced by internal conflicts that we cannot control

What is the scientific emphasis on casual explanations?

Every event in the universe has a cause and those causes can be explained by general laws. Knowledge and formulation of laws allow scientists to predict and control events in the future.

What is a strength about practicality in free will compared to determinism?

Even if we do not have free-will the idea of having our own choices improves mental health.

What did Roberts study that supports the practicality of free will?

Studied teenagers who believed in fate (fatalism) and found that the teenagers were at a much higher risk of developing depression. People who have an external rather than internal locus of control are less likely to be optimistic. Shows that the belief of free will creates a positive impact.

What does brain scanning not support and support and why?

Brain scanning does not support free will but does support determinism.

What did Libet study and what did he find about brain scanning techniques and determinism?

Told Ps to choose a random moment to flick their wrists and measured the activity in their brain. Ps also had to say when they felt the conscious will to move. Libet found that the unconscious decision came half a second before the conscious will to move.

This shows that our decisions are made by our brain before our consciousness decides to make them.

Why is Libet’s findings not actually a good explanation for determinism

Just because the action becomes before the conscious decision to act does not mean there was no decision to act. It is just that the decision took time to come into consciousness. Our conscious awareness of the decision is simply read out by the unconscious therefore this cannot challenge free-will

What is a limitation to determinism to do with the Law?

A limitation of determinism and strength of free-will is the implications with the law system. Because hard determinism says that we have no choice is counteracts the way our legal system works. In Law, offenders are held accountable for the decisions they made using free will. This shows that in the real world determinism does not really work.