Free will vs Determinism

• • Free will is the idea that humans are free to make choices.
  • Hard Determinism is the idea that all human action has a cause.
  • Soft determinism is the idea that all human action has a cause but people still have freedom to make choices.
• Types of determinism

  • Biological determinism is the idea that our behaviour Is caused by our biology (genes, hormones, chromosomes).
  • Environmental determinism is the idea that free will is just an illusion and all behaviour is the result of conditioning.
  • Psychic determinism is the idea that our behaviour is influenced by our biological drives and unconscious conflicts repressed In childhood.
• Strength) Determinism is consistent with the aims of science. It allows psychologists to identify cause and effect relationships and develop treatments for mental illness. For example drug therapies for OCD are based on biological determinism.
• Limitation) If behaviour is fully determined it means that people aren't responsible for their actions. This conflicts with the legal system which assumes free will and accountability.
• Limitation) Neurological studies like Libet's experiement show that the brain makes decisions before we become consciously aware of them. This suggest free will might just be an illusion.