Comparison Of Determinism And Free Will

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As philosophy has progressed throughout the years, several issues have been resolved, but a major one remains the center of debate. Do humans have free will or are all of one’s actions predetermined to occur? Some believe that free will does exist, some believe that it does not, and others believe that free will and determinism are actually compatible. Determinism is a metaphysical thesis that claims that at any state of the universe as a whole, there is one and only one possible future state. Thus, any idea of alternative options for agents to choose among is impossible, whereas “Free Will” is a philosophical term for a particular sort of capacity that allows rational agents (also known as humans) to choose a course of action from among various alternatives. In Galen Strawson’s “Free Will” he sets out to clarify that free will is an illusion, and therefore humans cannot be held morally responsible for their actions.
Galen Strawson calls his argument the “Basic Argument” and explains that it appears to show that one can never be truly or ultimately responsible for one’s actions. His argument for the lack of free will is explained in terms of conditions. …show more content…

One has no control over it, so one should receive neither praise nor blame. Strawson also believes that no matter how consciously aware one is of their deliberation and reasoning; every act and operation of their mind happens as a result of features for which one is in no way responsible for. Once again, since they are not responsible for the way they are, even if it seems like they are choosing between two alternatives, they cannot be held responsible for the one they

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