Free will

• The ability of an individual to choose a course of action or to act a certain way.
• Unlike most other approaches (which are

  deterministic), humanists emphasis that humans have free will (complete control over their actions, their behaviour, and who they are)
• They believe we are in charge with how we progress and develop throughout life
• Humanists do acknowledge that we have some constraints (e.g.: laws, morality, social constructs) that restrict our free will
• However, we can overcome these, and we have the ability to choose to do it
• Rogers and Maslow thus reject scientific models, and state that we are all unique beings (idiographic approach)