...How free are we? Whilst I tend to think of myself an an individual and the choices that I make, I make on my own accord, this may not necessarily be the case (Furze et al., 2015. p. 6). Society may be unknowingly playing a part in my decision-making and therefore prohibiting freedom from being obtained by anyone. In my life, major decisions have been made, for example the choice to continue my schooling at university. The reason that this aspect of my life has been chosen is that I feel as though it makes sense. I felt that I was making my own decision by choosing to go to university. However, looking at the idea of society and the choices we make based on societies values, I believe I made a welcome choice. At the time I thought that the decision I made was just mine. However, delving further into this concept of real freedom, I now know that my then decision was not made with freedom intact. I realise that there were different social structures that were at work during the making of that decision. These structures being microstructures and macrostructures (Furze et al., 2015. p. 7). The microstructures refer to my family, friends and my work associations, and the macrostructures refer to the “social relations that lie outside and above your circle of intimates and acquaintances” (Furze et al., 2015. p. 7). The above social structures were processed consciously. I had no idea that I was going through one at a time ticking off whether each group would approve...
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...Jean-Paul Sartre claims that man is completely free. To understand what this statement means, this essay will look at Existentialist philosophy and evaluate the central concepts namely freedom, anguish, abandonment and despair. Through analysing Sartre’s lecture entitled ‘Existentialism and Humanism’ and his book, ‘Being and Nothingness’ this essay will explain what he meant by this statement and will argue that while man is free to a certain extent, he is not completely free. Sartre delivered his lecture in a time of guarded optimism and unrest. The truth about the Nazi power and Auschwitz had just become known and the first atomic bomb had been dropped. People were becoming aware of how evil others could be and were looking for answers. There was a need to re-examine life as they knew it and Sartre, through Existentialism, offered a new approach to life. While Sartre himself later repudiated parts of his lecture it still remains his most widely read writing. (Philosophynow.org, 2016) Sartre used the word, ‘freedom’ which would have appealed to the people of that epoch having just been freed from Nazi occupation, however he says man is condemned to be free as he believed freedom came with great responsibility. The main reason for Sartre’s lecture was to defend Existentialism against its critics who thought it would lead to ‘quietism of despair’. They thought it was contemplative and would discourage people from taking action. Due to the words he used, namely anguish, abandonment...
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...Do We Have Free Will? It is Friday night and your friends have just invited you to what is supposed to be the best party of the year, but it is your little brother’s birthday. Right before the party, you sit down to weigh your options and decided to stay home to celebrate your little brother’s birthday. Did you just make a free choice, or was your decision just the result of the natural laws in the universe coming together forcing you to stay home? In the words of Arthur Schopenhauer, ""Man can do what he wills but he cannot will what he wills" . According to this, though you may believe that you have the complete freedom to choose where you wanted to go, your ultimate choice was caused by the events that occurred before this one. Although the choice of going to the party or staying home may seem to have given the illusion of free will, there was ultimately a physical law that could most likely explain why this decision was made. First off, there are three main viewpoints on the idea of free will: compatibilism, determinism, and indeterminism. Compatibilists state that it is possible for both free will and determinism to exist at the same time. Given an instance, a compatibilist will say that even though you are only really presented with one option in all situations, if this option is in accordance with the your true desires, then you have free will. Another idea some compatibilists believe is that there is always a natural law that can explain an outcome, but on...
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...Student: Instructor: Class: Date: Do we have Free Will? Yes. The issue of whether we have a free will or not is disputable. For the purpose of this study, I will look into what others have said about this topic. First, I will consider the opinions of three writers who have written contrary to my opinion supporting their argument with the reasons they have given. Secondly, I will analyze the opinions of those writers who believe that we have free will. This will of course be followed by supportive argument behind their opinions. On the last section of this study, I will rebut on the two different opinions. It seems that we do not have free will. For as (Merrill 293), the idea of free will is invalid because conditions of free will are not succinctly stated. There exists a problem of stating the conditions due to a foggy idea of the meaning in the cause effect relationships. The notion between the cause effect relationships is based on experience. In other words, this relationship is based on a succession of time. Although the succession in time can be proved in the laboratory, it cannot be consciously proved because a human being can do the same thing twice but with different consciousness. It seems that we do not have free will. For as (Clement Dore 500-501) free will is associated with making choices out of consciousness. Free will knows no coercion and one accepts responsibility for his actions. People engage in logical reasoning in making their day-to-day choices, they...
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...forms of hymns, mantras, engraved morals and or values. Northwood’s method to success is compiled into a book referred to by students and faculty as the “NU bible.” In this book When we are Free the Northwood idea is found. It’s not just a page, it’s the entirety of the book that encompasses this successful ideology. The Northwood idea incorporates four main principles in which their students follow. To be successful in the business world, one must know of these basic principles: freedom, capitalism, private property and limited government. America is known to grant...
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...Free Will; Do We Have it or Not The question of free will is one which has been hotly debated for millennia. Some people believe that humans have the capacity for free will - the ability to choose their actions without being forced to follow a certain course by either by the influence of others or by natural laws. For many theists, free will is regarded as a special gift from God. The notion of human free will is also an important premise for a lot of what happens in human society - in particular, when it comes to our legal system. Free will is necessary for the notion of personal responsibility. If people do not have free will, then it is difficult to argue that they are personally and morally responsible for their actions - and if that is the case, how can they be punished for their misdeeds? In fact, how can they be praised for the good things they do, if those actions were not also freely chosen? George Orwell did not have free will when it came to shooting the elephant. Orwell expresses his conflicting views regarding imperialism through three examples of oppression by his country, by the Burmese, and by himself on the Burmese. Thus he was not morally responsible. This made Orwell realize his role in society and has made him a stronger man. But first let’s see what led to his feeling toward the Burmese people. The building up of the feeling of pressure starts with Orwell feeling humiliated and disrespected from the Burmese and shifts to a feeling of authority...
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...Are we really free? Free will - the idea that we, as intelligent beings, is able to choose a certain course of action, and not another, is one of the most important concepts of humanity, from its creation, to the Bible to this day. This allows us to take responsibility for our own actions and to hold others accountable for their own responsibilities. It makes us build ourselves - and sometimes down. Obviously, free will can only be applied in accordance with the laws of physics and chemistry that govern everything that exists, or, if you believe in God, it must correspond to the parameters that God has laid out. Given this, how much of these limitations really play in our ideal of Enlightenment free will? To begin to formulate the answer, we must first determine free will. There are many different degrees of free will, the most "free" being, that people, and sometimes even more intelligent animals, have complete free knowledge within the laws of physics and the least free ones that we only exist, because God or some the supernatural being allows us to. The latter is quickly debunked - if the almighty being "lets" you free will, you obviously are not really free; free will is now seen as a privilege that can be abolished, not an innate ability or an inalienable right. And...
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...college is one of the gateways to a better life. However, the tuition for college is immensely higher than the average American's income. This leads many to not go after their dreams. On the other hand, the young adults that do go to college end up in an enormous amount of debt. Bernie Sanders, a Democratic presidential candidate, advocates that colleges should be free for everyone. This would theoretically push a lot of young adults into going to college. Although this proposal sounds perfect there are some hindrances to this. Hence, why lawmakers should not make college free of charge since there is not enough money to fund this and there are ways in which the government can help young adults into college. To begin with, the legislators shouldn’t make college tuition free because the government cannot afford the amount of money it would cost. America spends a lot of money on many goods, military and other things; that making college free is not an option. The government in its current state is in debt, and this proposal would push America into a bigger amount of debt. The proposal would “cost the...
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...students can express their opinions without fear. There have been many debates about the merits of allowing free speech on campus. Some students and faculties support allowing free speech on campus, while others believe that colleges should restrict free speech to make the college’s environment safer for every student. Restricting the freedom of expression is a bad idea because freedom of speech is one of the fundamental rights in the Constitution, free speech also prepares college students for society, and free speech also improves college students’ mental health. Freedom of speech is one of the crucial rights of American citizens. The Constitution states that American citizens are guaranteed...
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...Truth behind Free Will: Luther vs. Erasmus The notion of free will is one of the most complex notions to define and to understand; it is defined differently according to one’s interpretation of the scriptures, especially the Bible. Both Martin Luther and Desiderius Erasmus, influenced by their faith and beliefs, write respectively against and for free will. Both try to adequately answer the questions: Does man have free will? If yes, why and how? If not, how? Possible answers to these questions given by both authors and some scholars who write against or for each one of these opponents’ arguments highlight, especially, the differences in the conception of man’s free will. Luther and his supporters view free will as an imaginary or impossible and dangerous thing to have; Erasmus and his supporters defend that the existence of man’s free will is irrefutable for it is in human nature itself as the Bible says it. In spite of some of Luther’s good ideas that prove man’s absence of free will and Erasmus’ excellent interpretation of the Bible, neither of them fully responds to the human yearning of knowing the concept of free will. After a thorough and wise analysis of the defense and abnegation of man’s free will of these authors, I find it impossible to fully deny or prove the existence of man’s free will. It is important to take into account Luther’s argument and Erasmus’ before making a decision about the concept of free will. First of all, we are going...
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...view that we are not responsible for our actions When arguing whether or not we are responsible for our actions we are also always asking the question, are we free? Some people such as hard determinists believe that we are not responsible for our actions, and so are not free due to other aspects in our lives. Others, such as the libertarians, believe that we are totally free and should therefore be responsible for our actions. An assessment of these views will show that we are clearly responsible for our actions and that we therefore, have free will. According to Judeo-Christian teachings, God is omnibenevolent, omniscient and omnipotent. For theological determinists God’s omniscience means that he has foreknowledge of everything that will happen in the future. This would mean that our paths are predestined and that we are unable to choose any other action than the one God has already seen, or planned for us. This would remove any sense of free will we have, as we could not make any choice other than the one god has already seen and chosen for us, so we could therefore not be responsible for our actions. This is very similar John Calvin’s beliefs, which sparked from his rejection of the catholic church and the idea that you could earn your way into heaven. Calvin believed that humans are predestined as to whether they go to hell or heaven. This would mean that no amount of good deeds or repentance could get you to heaven as you are predetermined and have no free will about...
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...Free will is not an illusion. Critically discuss. This essay defends the claim that free will is not an illusion. The first supportive argument for this claim by Aristotle is that we are all responsible for our actions (Aristotle & Taylor, C.C.W. 2006) and also we also responsible to the formation of our character. The second argument to support that free will is not an illusion, whether we like it or not we are free as stated by Sartre arguing that we are condemned to be free (Bernasconi 2007). Together with this view Augustine argue that there is a higher power but we are still free to make choices, those who are predestined to the heaven and those who are not. However this does mean we have free will but it’s a matter of clarification of how this relates to our free will. If determinism were to be right and that some of our decisions are predetermined it is true to say that our decisions are also based upon fate. In a certain aspect, by the person that we are, our gender, race, and religion and status and past experiences, we have been explained that these things do affect our decisions, and that we always have a minimum of two choices for everything we need to do. If someone at any point of time, anywhere was to make a choice that is truly free and voluntary then it can be proved that we have free will. Libertarianism argues that free will is an action involving true devised commands where human beings are free in their action as they are able reason without any physical...
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...Can compatibilism be defended? Introduction This essay argues in favor of a compatibilist, that free will and determinism can co-exist. Consequently it will support the concept of compatibilism and determine that it can be defended. Two basic ideas will be outlined in this argument in support of this claim. Firstly, the notion of compatibilism, that actions can be both free and causally determined (Shabo, 2012; Sober, 2009). Secondly, it will be deliberated what it means to act freely. Followed by a reply, these counter arguments will also be discussed; Incompatibilists disagree with these ideas and believe that determinism is true and that no person has free will, this is called hard determinism. In addition, a libertarian’s point of view; that we are free and our actions are not causally determined (Sober, 2009). Furthermore, the trouble with determining what freewill is. Argument 1 Compatibilism is the idea that determinism is true; every event in the world has a cause, however, freewill can still exist. The aim of a compatibilist is to show that an act can be done freely if it has been caused a certain way (Sober, 2009). This leaves room for the idea that freedom doesn’t require the absence of causality, but rather, the right kind of causality (Millican, 2010; Sober, 2009). This makes reasonable sense because it is common knowledge that the way an individual acts and thinks has been determined by their genes and past experiences. Who the person is has been affected...
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...that the choices we make are just mere illusions? That we do not really have our own free will in making decisions? Yes, I believe this to be true. Section 2 However, some believe that we do have free will. Roy F. Baumeister, a social psychologist states that we do have free will, and he says: If culture is so successful, why don’t other species use it? They can’t—because they lack the psychological innate capabilities it requires. Our ancestors evolved the ability to act in the ways necessary for culture to succeed. Free will likely will be found right there—it’s what enables humans to control their actions in precisely the ways required to build and operate complex social systems. (Baumeister). What Baumeister is saying is that based on how our ancestor has developed a sense of communication is an act of free will. They have free will because they chose how they want to develop and how it will help them evolve. Baumesiter also states how our self-control "counts as a kind of freedom because it beings with not acting on every impulse," meaning that because of our free will, we don't always act straight away when we see something. We think about it first before we trigger a response. Such as thinking about what we say before we say it, we just don't say the first thing that comes to our mind without thinking about it. Steve Zara, a writer in the Richard Dawkins discussion section of the websites states that determinism "is not the enemy of free will, it's necessary...
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...We most often think that an agent’s free actions are those actions that she does as a result of exercising her free will. Consider a woman, Allison, who is contemplating a paradigmatic free action, such as whether or not to walk her dog. Allison might say to herself, “I know I should walk the dog—he needs the exercise. And while I don’t really want to walk him since it is cold outside, I think overall the best decision to make is that I should take him for a walk.” Thus, we see that one reason we care about free will is that it seems necessary for free action—Allison must first decide, or choose, to walk the dog before she actually takes him outside for his walk. If we assume that human actions are those actions that result from the rational capacities of humans, we then see that the possibility of free action depends on the possibility of free will: to say that an agent acted freely is minimally to say that the agent was successful in carrying out a free volition or choice. Various philosophers have offered just such an account of freedom. Thomas Hobbes suggested that freedom consists in there being no external impediments to an agent doing what he wants to do: “A free agent is he that can do as he will, and forbear as he will, and that liberty is the absence of external impediments.” In An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, David Hume thought that free will (or "liberty," to use his term) is simply the “power of acting or of not acting, according to the determination...
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