Determinism Vs Free Will Essay

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t is intriguing that when a person is presented with the ideas of free will or determinism, they usually jump rather quickly to the conclusion of free will. Most people appreciate the genuine freedom that accompanies choice, but do we really possess it? Complete free will would mean that our decisions would be unrelated to other factors such as the environment or genetics. In reality, our free decisions are based on factors that are beyond our own control. When exercising certain choices, we conclude that we have acted freely and distinguish our actions from situations in which we believe were not in our control. The events that are not in our control are pre-determined for us, which lead us on a path to a determined life. Even though we may be making our own unique decisions, they all connect to form a single planned outcome.
Free will is commonly believed to be an issue of common sense. For example, someone may argue that they chose what they are wearing today and therefore posses free will. It does not occur to them that some other factor could have influenced them to think in that manner, essentially meaning that their decision was pre-determined. Free will may give you a choice, but you would have never had that option if not for a determined factor from the surrounding society or environment. What people fail to realize is that determinism does not strictly mean that there exists a rule book of every event that has taken place or will take place in the future. Determinism also does not mean that the future is in the hands of a “creator” who is simply following a “plan”. Instead, determinism can be viewed as something that happens subconsciously, or even at an anatomic level.
When situations do not go as plann...

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...they would be a victim to the strange and irrational behavior brought on by their illness throughout their entire life. Any effort to change their behavioral patters would be useless because you cannot alter a predetermined way of life.
The belief that our realities are a result of various determined factors, such as the environment around us, is especially rational. Even though determinism exists, it does not rule out responsibility and freedom. The view that people choose to act independently out of free will only goes so far. Often, violence or other external factors are the root of various human behavior. When this happens, the event is not caused by something in the person, but rather a predetermined factor. Ultimately, individuals do have a choice, but the behavior they exhibit is always subject to some type of environmental or biological determinism.

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