Causal Determinism Essay

Causal determinism is a proposition which states that every event is the necessary result of a particular cause. Evidence of causal determinism can be found in most natural world sciences and essentially conceptualizes the way in which we think about our world during our daily lives (Hoefer).With causal determinism, however, comes the problem of free will. This arises from the consequence derived from causal determinism being universally true that essentially appears to deny that free will is something that we possess. However, with causal determinism, there comes different positions one can take which all have consequences attached to them. These positions are hard determinism, in indeterminism, and compatibilism, each with accompanying consequences

This standpoint theorizes that determinism is compatible with freedom, and the coexistence of both of these is a possibility within the world.

The theory of causal determinism is evident in the natural world through many outlets. Some of which include medicine, chemistry, physics, and other physical sciences. This is as a result of the evidence provided through these outlet which suggest that the events that take place are determined as a result of their causes (McKenna). An example of this would be when an alkali metal were to come into contact with water, such as dropping a sample of solid potassium into a tub of water. If we were to know the causal laws that affect this process, we can accurately predict what will happen to the potassium and even the water. We can predict that the alkali metal would simply melt, while also moving around the surface of the water, igniting hydrogen surrounding it, and while being on fire and emitting a lilac flame, emit sparks. The reason we know that this can take place is that there has been no recorded difference when the variables within this reaction are the same, so after adding potassium to water enough times and recording the

Compatibilists believe that these two things can co-exist and that determinism has no negative effect on free will. (Evangelist) For the compatibilist, the notion of freedom is the essence of their standpoint, as they wish for a freedom that goes hand in hand with moral responsibility. They believe that notion of freedom is the act of making decisions on the basis of reason. (Evangelist) This means that in order to have moral responsibility and freedom, the freedom that we have cannot be that of a spontaneous and uncaused nature, meaning that the choices we make are influenced and kept in line by moral values and beliefs. I support this view because I believe that it accurately represents how an individual processes the actions that they take or decisions they make while taking into account that there are no constraints or impediments preventing these actions, which is the essence of freedom to a compatibilist. According to Kane, being free, according to a compatibilist, is being able to do what we desire or want without the absence of any constraints or impediments that would in turn prevent someone from doing what they want or desire(Kane, 2005, pg. 13). These constraints can be physical or mental, as long as they take away from an individual's ability to do what they want or desire. An example of this form of free will could be something as simple as