Free Will Versus Determinism Essay -- essays research papers

Free Will Versus DeterminismThe controversy between spare will and determinism has been arguedabout for years. What is the difference between the both? Looking in adictionary, free will is the power, attributed to human beings, of making freechoices that are unconstrained by external circumstances or by an agency suchas fate or divine will. Free will totallyows free choice. Yet, determinism is thetotal opposite. Determinism has this definition The philosophical doctrinethat every event, act, and ending is the inescapable consequence ofantecedents that are independent of the human will. Determinism states thathumans have no free will to aim what they wish. That seems real extreme andharsh. Even though this is what determinism is, doesnt mean that thedeterminists are trying to steal your freedom. Its only what they believebecause of religion and cause and effect. In religion, many people believe inthe existence of a god supports determinism. The basis of god is that he isall-know ing and all-powerful. If free will is allowed, there would bedecisions and actions in which God could not know due to the persons choice.This would specialise Gods omnipotence, which is unacceptable to some. The otherargument for determinism is causation, or causes and effects. This argumentdepends on relationships that should happen with the uniform results every time,such as a baseball breaking a window, breaking the window. Basing on this,everything in the universe has a cause. And if all the causes and the eventswere known, then it would be possible to easily predict the future. Ifeverything can be foreseen, then this proves that cypher that anyone does canchange the courses of the future. This, of course, is not possible.Determinism says that what you do can be the cause of what your life turns outto be. This can be true. Yet, you can act otherwise that would command you offthat path of where your life was heading. Common sense tells us that we canchange, which determinism opposes to. It also says that if we feel we are notforced, we could have acted differently. That is why I choose to side withfree will. Determinism has too many extremes and limits that, already shown,is not possible in this world.Free will is the minds ability to choose with intelligence. Thatdoesnt mean that our choice has all the freedom in the world. Our choicescannot and ob... ...ermined by anterior events. Therefore we can not change our behavior. Previous events doaffects us we cannot ignore that. But, like the previous examples, if theprevious events consequences were not good, we would mostly likely change,unless that individual was deranged. These arguments on free will definitelydoes not pertain to all people. Everyone is different. Yet mostly likely,individuals think towards free will.An implication to determinism is that man becomes nothing more thana puppet. That may sound cruel, but it is true. Under the rules ofdeterminism, man must go by past events, doing the same thing he did in thepast, right or wrong. He can not change his behavior, unable to let out hisemotions. The man has become a puppet, being controlled and restricted. Andin everyday life, determinism does not exist in most lives.It is logical and reasonable to say that the all of free will is a banner of our humanness. Whatever we choose will effect our future. But wewill base our decisions on what we feel is right, taking in our moral feelings.Free will is a measure of self-determination that people feel themselves topossess and by which they make moral judgments.