...Critically assess the claim that all people are free to make moral decisions. (35 marks) Free will in making moral decisions is a much disputed topic. Many philosophers argue that there is no such thing as free will and everything is predetermined, while others dispute this and say that we have complete freedom to of what we wish. Doing as we wish is a key aspect of what defines free will. Hume defined liberty as ‘a power of acting or not acting, according to the determinations of the will’. This means that for a decision to be free, it must be solely of our own desires and not due to an external influence. Libertarianism is one theory that would agree with the claim that all humans are free to make moral decisions. Libertarianism is the idea that humans have complete free will. The Uncertainty principle, developed by Dr Heisenberg, discusses how the world and universe are unpredictable and indeterminable. This is used to back up libertarianism as we cannot know what is going to happen, when or where. Heisenberg also said that ‘ When we now the present precisely, we can predict the future’. However we do not know the present precisely and therefore anything could happen in the future which reinforces the idea of free will. In terms of making moral decisions, Libertarianism places moral responsibility upon the person who makes the decision. Nothing else but their own desires influences them, therefore only they can be held accountable, meaning that they must accept any blame...
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...voluntary decision, put in philosophical terms it is the art for a particular sort of capacity of rational agents to choose a course of action from among various alternatives. Free will is also known as libertarianism or non-compatibilism, this theory also states that you are responsible for your actions, as does soft determinism. Hard determinism and predestination state that you are not responsible for your actions because your life is predetermined and out of your control. This essay will explore the ways in which freewill and determinism work together and the ways in which they oppose one another, including the views of philosophers. According to Baruch Spinoza; “In the mind there is no absolute or free will; but the mind is determined to wish this or that by a cause, which has also been determined by another cause and this last by another cause, and so on to infinity”. This tells us why Spinoza and other hard determinists are called ‘hard’; their position is very strict. Hard determinists believe that all of our actions have prior causes and we are therefore neither free nor responsible, making hard determinism incompatible with free will and moral responsibility. John Locke provides an example which perfectly demonstrates how free will is simply an illusion. He states; ‘say a man wakes up in a room that, unknown to him, is locked from the outside. He chooses to stay in the room believing he has chosen freely; when in reality he has no option’. This is saying that it was...
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... Hard determinist John Locke believed “freedom is an illusion” as we appear to have moral choices, but we only think we choose freely because we do not know the causes that lie behind our choices. Free will and the importance of this suggestion are highly negotiated throughout history. Many philosophers hold different views regarding this suggestion “freewill is an illusion” and many are questioned due to this. Locke maintained that all actions have prior causes and humans are not free to act, our acts are determined. Everything we do is caused by something we cannot control. He illustrates his point of view by describing a sleeping man in a locked room, awakening and deciding to remain where he is, not realising the door in the room is locked. The illustration suggests that the man believes that he has a choice but he has no choice at all in reality. Hard determinism can be seen as a pessimistic view as events that have changed history such as the holocaust are seen as predetermined events therefore no one can be held blameworthy as Hitler was determined by prior causes to do as he did. Hitler does not have diminished responsibility, as he didn’t have a mental illness but he may have been in an extreme emotional state, he should be blameworthy for what he did but hard determinists appear to think differently. Does Hitler have diminished responsibility? As it could be suggested that hard determinism excuses criminal crimes and removes human responsibility. Freewill is...
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...and its effect on the idea of moral responsibility creates many differing ideas. Roderick M. Chisholm, a libertarian, believes that determinism is in direct conflict with moral responsibility. David Hume, a compatibilist, believes otherwise. He believes that moral responsibility does fit into the idea of determinism. Despite these conflicting views, one side has much stronger evidence than the other, which leads us to believe that moral responsibility is incompatible with determinism. Determinism is the idea that everything, and everyone, is predetermined by prior events or the laws of nature, including our actions. To put it simply, every cause has an event. Our ideas, which themselves are a type of event, could then be seen as having...
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...Freedom is an essential part of the good life. One cannot be living a good life if he/she is not free to do what he/she wants. However, with freedom comes the moral understanding of what can and cannot be done by the individual. If one is supposed to be living without boundaries then having the boundaries of morality stop unjust acts, this brings to itself what can and cannot be done by the individual. Thus, this brings an overall contradiction to the word freedom. Rousseau wrote, “Man is born free, and yet everywhere he is in chains”. We can distinguish between two types of freedom: 1. Intrinsic freedom, or our natural free will with which we are born. 2. Extrinsic freedom, that freedom for which we must fight for. Freedom is difficult to define due to the negative concept of being a reaction against something. This is known as negative freedom, a reaction against or as freedom from some undesirable position, power or rule. There is also what is known as positive freedom, which is the freedom to do or have. Behind all of our superficial aspects there is some pure inner self that, acting out of it, constitutes the true nature of freedom. Sartre says that pure freedom is consciousness itself. A freedom that is free from determination by all other influences and which allows one to act in a number of different ways. This freedom, as described by Sartre is challenged by the Principle of Universal Causality. This principle states that every event has its explanatory...
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...external factors such as natural laws, religion, primary and secondary carers and prior events. Therefore, the question could be raised, do we actually any have any freedom to act ethically or is it just a result of what we have already learnt (Piaget)? Then again, what is ethical behaviour to begin with? A universal idea of what is right or wrong that is decided by a group of people? The concluding opinion that will be formed is: we do have a genuine amount of freedom however this notion is only supported to a certain extent as I believe we are influenced by external factors. This essay will discuss points that would approve and disapprove of this statement because I believe it is a combination of both, going with a soft determinist approach. Hard determinists would suggest our choices are determined by prior events. This is a logical statement because a choice we make today could affect the choice we would make tomorrow. For example, a levels are picked accordingly due to prior grades we received in GCSE. Aquinas’s cause and effect theory is applicable to this notion of everything have an efficient cause: nothing can be efficient or cause itself. However, despite this approach making total sense as it is an intelligible to suggest that prior events do effect the choices we make today, resulting in a restriction, resulting with us not having complete freedom over the choices but over the outcome to act ethically. This is where some might see this theory’s flaws, for example...
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...not an illusion. The first supportive argument for this claim by Aristotle is that we are all responsible for our actions (Aristotle & Taylor, C.C.W. 2006) and also we also responsible to the formation of our character. The second argument to support that free will is not an illusion, whether we like it or not we are free as stated by Sartre arguing that we are condemned to be free (Bernasconi 2007). Together with this view Augustine argue that there is a higher power but we are still free to make choices, those who are predestined to the heaven and those who are not. However this does mean we have free will but it’s a matter of clarification of how this relates to our free will. If determinism were to be right and that some of our decisions are predetermined it is true to say that our decisions are also based upon fate. In a certain aspect, by the person that we are, our gender, race, and religion and status and past experiences, we have been explained that these things do affect our decisions, and that we always have a minimum of two choices for everything we need to do. If someone at any point of time, anywhere was to make a choice that is truly free and voluntary then it can be proved that we have free will. Libertarianism argues that free will is an action involving true devised commands where human beings are free in their action as they are able reason without any physical effect. However being on the strong side, hard determinists state that free will is an illusion...
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...Free Will and Determinism One issue with human kind as a whole that has been continuing since the beginning of time is the question of free will. Do human beings really have free will, or is our destiny predetermined by fate? To fully take a side, one has to look at and understand both sides of the argument. Firstly there is the concept of Determinism, which is basically that all events are caused by prior events, and that given the causes of a human’s choices or actions, there is no way that that human could have acted otherwise. Obviously, this is incompatible with the concept of free will, because free will suggests that humans do have a choice. Although there are two different sides to the argument of free will, there is compatibilist and libertarianism free will. Compatibilist free will suggests that free will and determinism are compatible. That it is possible for a person to act freely if the action is not caused by an external factor but rather by an internal factor, caused by processes in the brain. Libertarian free will denies that determinism and compatibilism are true and that free will exists. Libertarians define an action as free if the person doing it could have done otherwise, or that is was possible to act differently. I believe that humans do have free will to the extent of their own power, making me a compatibilist. A person cannot stop a car accident from happening and making them late to work, but they can choose to turn around and take a different route...
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...ARGUMENTS AGAINST DETERMINISM: MAN IS FREE, NO MORE, NO LESS INTRODUCTION The issues of Freedom and Determinism have been sensitive issues that have sparked off heated debates throughout history. The question whether man is really free has been a hard nut to crack and as a result of this, many attempts have been made by different individuals from both philosophical and theological point of view in their effort to explain and understand this concept ‘Freedom’. The line of thought that supports the notion of free will is also called libertarianism. DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS Before delving into the argument, it is worthy of note that the terms under discussion be given a definition for a better understanding of the terms. According to Advanced Learners’ Dictionary, determinism is the belief that people are not free to choose what they are like or how they behave because these things are decided by their background, surroundings and other things over which they have no control. It is simply the view that man is not free, that his actions are determined by certain causes. On another note, libertarianism according to the same source is the belief that people should have the freedom to do and think as they like. Freedom is simply man’s capacity to take hand in his own development. Concentrating more on the major object of my argument which is against determinism, the concept freedom was supported by both philosophers and theologians throughout history. On the part of the philosophers...
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...Critically consider arguments for free-will in psychology (30 marks) One argument for free-will comes from the psychological argument, which suggests that people have a subjective sense of free-will and all people are able to make their own free choices about their behaviour. Evidence for this comes from Dr. Johnson in the 18th Century who sustained the idea that ‘we know our will is free, and there’s an end on ‘t’. (A01) However, a counterargument towards the psychological argument is that simply feeling that you are free does not mean that this is true. Skinner claimed that free will was an illusion – we think we are free, but this is because we are not aware of how our behaviour is determined by reinforcement. Freud also thought that free will was an illusion, because he felt that the causes of our behaviour is unconscious and therefore still predictable. (A02 ) In contrast, Valentine (1982) claims that this subjective sense of free will is tenable (reasonable). It is something that can be studied and thus shown to be true, e.g., attitudes towards free will have been found to increase with age and are also more common in individualistic cultures such as the USA and UK where personal responsibility receives greater emphasis. (A02 ) Another argument for free will in psychology derives from the ethical argument. This states that if an individual’s behaviour is determined by forces beyond their control, then the individual cannot be held responsible for their...
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...GCE Religious Studies Advanced GCE Unit G582: Religious Ethics Mark Scheme for January 2011 Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA) is a leading UK awarding body, providing a wide range of qualifications to meet the needs of pupils of all ages and abilities. OCR qualifications include AS/A Levels, Diplomas, GCSEs, OCR Nationals, Functional Skills, Key Skills, Entry Level qualifications, NVQs and vocational qualifications in areas such as IT, business, languages, teaching/training, administration and secretarial skills. It is also responsible for developing new specifications to meet national requirements and the needs of students and teachers. OCR is a not-for-profit organisation; any surplus made is invested back into the establishment to help towards the development of qualifications and support which keep pace with the changing needs of today’s society. This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and students, to indicate the requirements of the examination. It shows the basis on which marks were awarded by Examiners. It does not indicate the details of the discussions which took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking commenced. All Examiners are instructed that alternative correct answers and unexpected approaches in candidates’ scripts must be given marks that fairly reflect the relevant knowledge and skills demonstrated. Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the published question papers and the Report on...
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...A RESULT OF GOD’S DIVINE PLAN OR AN ACT OF MAN’S FREE WILL A PAPER SUBMITTED TO DR. TODD S. BUCK IN PARTIAL FULFILLLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CLASS SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY I THEO 525 BY JOHN S. POPE JR LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA May 11, 2013 Table of Contents Introduction Definition of Theodicy……………………………………………………………………….2 Divine Providence..............…………………………………………………………………..3 God’s Sovereignty/Man’s Free Will………………………………………………………...5 Conclusion…...………………......……………………………………………………….....10 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………...12 The human race is afflicted by kidnappings, poverty, murder and oppression. The question men have struggled with is how can a good God allow such evil to continue? On a moral level, an even better question would be is the evil man experiences at the hands of other men, a result of God’s divine plan or the effect of man’s free will? Answering these questions is important because uncovering the reason for ongoing evil has challenged some to the point, they have denied their faith and joined a corps of atheists who promote the idea that the presence of suffering, pain and evil are the best testament to a non-existent God. When arguing against the existence of God, one might be presented with attempts to use His divine attributes of omnipotence (all powerful), omniscience (all knowing) and omnibenevolence (all good) against Him. The dilemma of the presence of evil in the midst of a creation that God deemed good...
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...What Does it Mean to be Human in an Age of Modern Technology? What does it mean to be human in the age of modern technology? Many feel that technology is only a useful tool and has not changed what it means to be human. Others argue that today’s technological advances have become so rapid, sophisticated and ingrained in daily life it is taking away from the interest, welfare and humanistic nature of our society. Most all do agree that technology has certainly played a role in humanity’s social and behavioral progress throughout history. However, to what extent technology really drives the development of our social and behavioral changes can elicit a heated discussion. Humans are driven, curious creatures that seek to solve problems and have a need for social interactions. As well they desire some form of system of belief (though not necessarily religious in nature) and aspire to be part of something collective or feel a sense of purpose to life. Countless studies provide that human behavior arises out of the interaction between individuals and their environment. Although environments do influence human behavior, many contend the basic tenets of humanity such as compassion, the need to have connected relationships and the desire to improve upon our lives have not changed in the face of technology. However, it is clear that human attitudes and expectations today are certainly very different than even several generations ago. Much of which, is a direct result of technological...
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...A2 Religious Studies Revision Booklet To be used alongside the textbook and your classnotes. Contents G581: Philosophy of Religion Religious Language......................................................………p.1 Religious Experience........................................................…...p.7 Miracles..................................................................…………...p.12 Nature of God............................................................………...p.16 Life and Death.........................................................…………..p.20 G582: Religious Ethics Meta-ethics...........................…………………………………….p.25 Free Will and Determinism………………………………….……p.28 Conscience.......................…………………………………….…p.32 Virtue Ethics………………………………………………………..p.36 Sexual Ethics…………………………………………………...….p.40 Environment and Business Ethics……………………………….p.44 Religious Language Introduction The problems of religious language: • If we use language univocally about God, then we are limiting him / making him like a human • If we use language equivocally about God, we cannot be sure what the word means when applied to God • Are statements about God supposed to be cognitive – if so, what evidence proves / disproves them? • Are statements about God supposed to be non-cognitive – if so, do they have any meaning? The Verification...
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...mTELECOURSE STUDY GUIDE FOR The Examined Life FOURTH EDITION author J. P. White Chair, Department of Philosophy Santa Barbara City College contributing author Manuel Velasquez Professor of Philosophy Santa Clara University This Telecourse Study Guide for The Examined Life is part of a collegelevel introduction to philosophy telecourse developed in conjunction with the video series The Examined Life, and the text Philosophy: A Text with Readings, tenth edition, by Manuel Velasquez, The Charles Dirksen Professor, Santa Clara University. The television series The Examined Life was designed and produced by INTELECOM Intelligent Telecommunications, Netherlands Educational Broadcasting Corporation (TELEAC/NOT), and Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company (UR) Copyright © 2007, 2005, 2002, 1999 by INTELECOM Intelligent Telecommunications All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of INTELECOM Intelligent Telecommunications, 150 E. Colorado Blvd., Suite 300, Pasadena, California 91105-1937. ISBN: 0-495-10302-0 Contents Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Lesson One — What is Philosophy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....
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