Free will/determinism

• Free Will


  The notion that humans can make choices and aren't determined by biological/external forces
• Determinism


  The view that an individual's behaviour is shaped /controlled by internal or external forces rather than their will to do something
• Hard determinism


  Implies that free will is not possible as our behaviour is always caused by internal/external events beyond our control
• Soft determinism


  All events, including human behaviour, have causes. Behaviour can also be determined by our conscious choices in the absence of coercion.
• Biological determinism


  The belief that behaviour is caused by biological influence that we can't control
• Environmental determinism


  The belief that behaviour is caused by features of the environment that we can't control (e.g. systems of reward and punishment)
• Psychic determinism


  The belief that behaviour is caused by unconscious conflicts we can't control
• Scientific emphasis on causal explanations

  • Every event in the universe has a cause and that causes can be explained using general laws
  • Knowledge of causes and the formulation of laws are important to predict and control future events