Freedom And Determinism ( its for philosphy class) - Essay Example

Freewill and Determinism Since the beginning of humankind, people have contemplated many unknowns, why are we here and where do we come from may top this list. Within this same realm of thought lies questioning the degree of control one has over their actions and the impending results. Are some simply luckier than others, are we preordained to certain experiences, do we determine our own destiny and if so, to what extent? This question is typically described as the paradox of freewill and determinism.

The ‘common man’ as well as history’s greatest philosophers has considered the enigma of whether people freely exercise their own choices or if their ultimate fate is actually determined by some mysterious external force. If not for free will, no one could be held accountable for their actions because all behavior, whether good or bad, moral or immoral would be predetermined therefore out of an individuals control. However, most people sincerely believe they possess free will, as evidenced by Darwin’s evolution theory which indicates that “we do in fact have free will, that we can decide and determine our futures within the limits of physical reality” (Truth and Reality, 2007).

A person can chose to, for example, type an essay or go watch television. Simple reasoning dictates that people, and animals for that matter, have the freedom of choice. We are not robots or puppets acting out in some cosmic entities stage play. The power is within each of us to alter behaviors, even long-standing patterns of behavior. The choice to take the right or left direction when we reach a fork in the road is completely ours. It would be unjust to imprison anyone for a crime if society as a whole was not convinced that free will did not exist.

Common sense dictates that people have and exercise freedom of choice. William James explained this point of view maybe better than anyone by saying “people experience regret or sorrow only because they could have done otherwise.” (Stumpf, 1984)According to the concept of determinism, free will is only an illusion as described by Baron dHolbach. People are unable to alter their behaviors because actions are determined by events preceding those actions. The determinism theory dictates that all actions are determined by universal laws.

In other words, if only people were fully aware of the inner-workings of the universe, they could reliably forecast impending actions. “Any present event, including human behavior, is caused by an antecedent cause” (Weiss, 1996). The merits of determinism can be demonstrated with a simple, logical formula. All human actions are caused by a preceding event therefore all actions are predictable. Since actions can be predicted, free will does not exist. Everything we do is simply a reaction to something else and if people were blessed, somehow, with universal knowledge, they would know the future actions of themselves and others.

According to Holbach people do not have this power therefore are under the illusion that their choices are their own. This presumption is logical and reasonable given that people do not fully understand the inner workings of the universe but free will is still a false assumption. For example, until about 500 years ago many people assumed the Earth was flat therefore it was logical to them that the Sun revolved around the Earth. This was a logical assumption but did not make the original hypothesis true.

(Weiss, 1996) “Even though our knowledge is telling us that we do not possess free will, most of us are loathe accepting this conclusion. We think ‘if I do not have free will, then it is not important whatever I do’ (Ott, 1998). This concept is unacceptable so it is rejected by the conscience and subconscious mind. Neither Holbach nor James was definitely correct. I certainly cannot side with either philosophy entirely. Far be it from me to offer an enlightened opinion because the greatest minds the world has known has contemplated this paradox and likely will far into the future because both free will and determinism can be both proved and disproved.

In the end, most people choose to believe what is easiest for their psyche to grasp and what suits their own level of comfort. Freewill, whether real or imagined, is likely to be considered a reality of life for most people whether it is or not. Works CitedStumpf, Samuel Enoch. Philosophy: History & Problems 3rd Ed., McGraw-Hill, Inc., USA, 1983 p. 61“On Truth and Reality” Space and Motion.com (July 30, 2007). April 23, 2009 Ott, Edwin E. “The Free Will/Determinism Paradox” (July 29, 1998).

April 23, 2009 Weiss, P.L. “Does Free Will Exist?” (May 19, 1996). April 23, 2009