Free will Vs Determinism

• What is free will?

  • Behaviour does not have a cause
  • Humans are free to choose their own thoughts and actions
  • Biology and the environment may influence our behaviour but we can choose to reject these influences
• What is determinism?

  Our behaviour is shaped by either internal or external forces
• What are the different types of determinism?

  • Hard determinism
  • Soft determinism
  • Environmental determinism
  • Biological determinism
  • Psychic determinism
• What is hard determinism?

  • All behaviour has a cause
  • It is possible to identify, describe and study these causes
• What is soft determinism?

  • All behaviour has a cause
  • We have conscious mental control over our behaviour and can still make rational (limited) choices
• Which approaches are considered to be hard determinism?

  • Biological
  • Behaviourist
  • Psychodynamic
• Which approaches are considered to be soft determinism?

  • Social learning theory
  • Cognitive
• What is environmental determinism?

  Behaviour is caused by features of environment (such as consequences of our behaviour) that we can't control
• What is biological determinism?

  Behaviour is caused by biological influences that we can't control e.g. genes, hormones, and evolution
• What is psychic determinism?

  Behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts that we can't control
• Which approaches are considered to be environmental determinism?

  • Behaviourist
  • Social learning theory
• Which approaches are considered to be biological determinism?

  • Biological
• Which approaches are considered to be psychic determinsim?

  • Psychodynamic
• What is the scientific approach?

  • Emphasis of causal explanations
  • Scientists conduct experiments with independent variables and dependent variables which check for cause and effect relationships
  • Science is always deterministic