Discussion Question A: Determinism and Libertarianism
In philosophy, determinism refers to the argument that all choices, beliefs and events are determined by previous causes. According to Van Inwagen (1975), determinism is totally incompatible with the idea of free will since free will asserts that humans have a chance to make decisions and enjoy the results regardless of previously occurring causes. Determinism hinders free will since humans are simply viewed as subjects fulfilling an already scripted story of their lives based on previously happening events and causes. Libertarians subscribe to the notion of free will and choice. They reject determinism since it does not appreciate the role of free will and choice in human lives. Libertarians, therefore, do not subscribe to the idea of determinism. Determinism appears more correct as compared to the concept of free will. According to Heisenberg (2009), free will is an illusion since humans are never allowed to exercise maximum free will when making their decisions about life. Choice as well is heavily influenced by previous occurrences. Determinism, therefore, clearly describes human life where all decisions must be anchored upon previously acquired knowledge or occurring events.
Discussion Question B: Compatibilism and Hard Determinism
Hard determinism best describes human actions and life in general. As stated above, free will is an illusion. No matter how much a person believes they are in control of their lives, their decisions will always be determined by previously occurring events or knowledge that is used to make decisions. For example, a student selecting a specific profession is motivated by various factors, mainly the experience they have in life or the knowledge they have acquired form mentors and parents. The decision is, therefore, determined by the previous events. According to Smilansky (1994), hard determinism often makes it hard to assign moral responsibility in a society since people are arguably not in control of their lives. However, the rebuttal should not be used to dismiss hard determinism. Morals are, in most cases relative and socially constructed. So, they fit in the hard determinism continuum. This means that the morals one have are determined by the socialization that have been subjected to. Hard determinism therefore qualifies as the best theory explaining the process of decision making among humans.
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References
Heisenberg, M. (2009). Is free will an illusion? Nature, 459, 164-165.
Smilansky, S. (1994). The ethical advantages of hard determinism. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, LIV (2), 355.
Van Inwagen, P. (1975). The incompatibility of free will and determinism. Philosophical Studies, 27 (3), 185–199. https://doi.rorg/10.1007/bf01624156
