Free Will & Determinism

• What is the main topic of the debate discussed?

  Free will versus determinism in behavior
• What does free will imply about human behavior?

  Humans can make choices independently
• How does determinism define individual behavior?

  Behavior is shaped by internal or external forces
• What is soft determinism?

  Predictable behavior with room for personal choice
• What is hard determinism?

  All behavior is caused by internal or external factors
• What are the three types of determinism?

  • Biological Determinism
  • Environmental Determinism
  • Psychic Determinism
• What does biological determinism state?

  Behavior is caused by uncontrollable biological influences
• How does environmental determinism affect behavior?

  Behavior is caused by uncontrollable environmental features
• What is the concept of psychic determinism?

  Behavior is caused by unconscious psychodynamic conflicts
• How did Freud view human behavior?

  Determined by unconscious conflicts from childhood
• What is a practical value of believing in free will?

  • Improves mental health
  • Reduces risk of depression
  • Enhances optimism
• What did Roberts et al (2000) find about fatalism in adolescents?

  Belief in fatalism increases depression risk
• What does the evidence suggest about believing in free will?

  It may positively impact mind and behavior
• What did Libet's findings reveal about decision making?

  Brain activity precedes conscious decision awareness
• How did Libet measure decision making in his study?

  Participants flicked their wrist at random moments
• What did Libet find about the timing of brain activity?

  Unconscious activity occurred half a second before awareness
• What is the hard determinist stance on individual choice?

  Individual choice does not cause behavior
• How does the legal system relate to determinism?

  It holds offenders responsible for their actions
• What principle does the legal system operate on?

  Defendants exercised free will in committing crimes
• What does the real-world application of determinism suggest?

  Determinist arguments do not align with legal practices
• What is a strength for Free Will?

  Practical Value

  • Thinking we exercise free choice can improve our mental health
  • Roberts et al (2000) found that adolescents who had a strong belief in fatalism  were at a greater risk of developing depression, and people who exhibit an external locus of control are less likely to be optimistic
  • This suggests that, even if we do not have free will, the fact that we believe we do may have a positive impact on mind and behaviour
• What is a strength for Free Will?

  Takes Time

  • However, Libet’s (1983) findings showing that the brain is involved in decision making is not surprising and is just as we would expect
  • Just because the action comes before the conscious awareness of the decision to act does not mean that there was no decision to act, and just that the decision took time to reach consciousness
  • This suggests this evidence is not appropriate as a challenge to free will
• What is a limitation for Free Will?

  Research Evidence

  • Libet et al (1983) instructed participants to choose a random moment to flick their wrist and had to say when they felt the conscious will to move, while he measured brain activity
  • Libet found that the unconscious brain activity leading up to the conscious decision to move came around half a second before the participant consciously felt they had to move
  • This may be interpreted as meaning that even our most basic experiences of free will are actually determined by our brain before we are aware of them 
• What is a limitation for Determinism?

  The Law

  • The hard determinist stance is that individual choice is not the cause of behaviour, which is not consistent with the way in which our legal system operates
  • In a court of law, offenders are held responsible for their actions, and the main principle of the legal system is that a defendant exercised their free will in committing the crime
  • This suggests that, in the real world, determinist arguments do not work