Free will v Determinism

What is the free will-determinism debate?

Is behaviour our choice or is it already determined

What is the free will side?

That behaviour is a choice that the person makes

What is the determinism side?

That every event including human thought and behaviour is casually determined by an unbroken chain of prior events

What is the difference between soft and hard determinism?

Soft suggests that behaviour is constrained by the environment to a certain extent

Hard suggests that behaviour is wholly determined by external factors and humans don’t have any free will

What are strengths of the determinism side?

Increased understanding as to why people do what they do

Interventions due to predictability

Scientific approach

What are the weaknesses of the determinism debate?

Legal implications if true

Takes away personal responsibility for bad behaviour

Can lead to stereotypes of certain people

What are strengths of the free will side?

Increase motivation is people think they can change

Encourages personal responsibility

What are weaknesses of the free will side?

Difficult to define and measure

Free will is subjective

Not scientific