Determinism Theory

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Introduction
The theory of determinism simply stated is the notion that all current events and everything we experience is determined by past occurrences and we have no control or freedom of choosing what happens in the future(McLeod). It is argued that determinism states that the future can predict and everything that has already happened in the past has an explanation to it. The predictability of events, however, is the principle and we can’t actually predict everything. It follows natural science laws to determine how predictable an occurrence is. If occurrence A is often followed by occurrence B, then A follows B, therefore if A occurs, the probability of B occurring can then be predictable. Several laws and statistical factors are ignored …show more content…

It states that because determinism is true, human beings lack free will and all their actions have caused. Therefore, any desire human beings have or the choices they make are caused ("Freedom and Determinism"). Since an action cannot happen unless it is driven by a cause, determinism implies the lack of free will. This begs the question, are we then at all responsible for our actions? Determinism dictates that for there to be human freedom, the action or the choice made would have to be completely independent of past events or actions. According to determinism, these free acts do not exist. For a person to have free will, the person would have to be an original source of that particular action. No similar action or occurrence could have happened before this particular act of free will. Arguably, since actions are caused by a desire or a specific need, which are derived from our character whilst our character is shaped by our heredity and the environment we occupy, therefore no person can be a first mover ("Freedom and Determinism"). A first mover (primum mobile) refers to a person who does an original act which is independent of any previous action or cause. Determinism argues that any event has a source beyond human control therefore free will does not

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