Existentialism Vs. Determinism

Free Will

Analyzing our individual free will can be very intriguing and can almost

reach the point of being paradoxical. Ultimately, free will determines the level

of responsibility we claim for our actions. Obviously, if outside forces

determine our choices, we cannot be held responsible for our actions. However,

if our choices are made with total freedom than certainly we must claim

responsibility for our choices and actions.

The readings I chose offered two quite opposite theories on individual

human freedom, determinism vs. existentialism. In comparing these two

theories the contrasts are quite outstanding.

Evidently, some philosophers felt that human beings did not really have a

free will. This view, defined as determinism held that certain casual laws rule

what occurs in the universe. There are two major forms of determinism,

including hard determinism and soft determinism.

Hard determinism taught that each of our actions is determined by factors

beyond our control such as heredity and environment. From this point of view

there can be no real moral responsibility for our actions if our actions were

determined by factors beyond our cont...