‘To what extent can I determine my own destiny?’ Discuss in the light of theories, ideas and research encountered in the course.
Do I act as I do through choice or are my actions influenced by factors beyond our control? This uncertainty has concerned psychologists for decades, consequently giving rise to the 'Autonomy versus Determinism' debate. By definition, autonomy is the belief that we are free to make decisions and thus control all of our actions, however determinism contradicts this view by suggesting that all of our actions are entirely determined by the external and internal forces operating on them. Nowadays It is now commonly documented by most psychologists that it is a combination of both autonomy and determinism that determines our behaviour however this leads to another question, 'to what extent can I determine my own destiny‘? In order to answer this question this essay will firstly explore the autonomy versus determinism debate and consider how and why human action is determined and also if determinism prevents autonomy. This debate will be explore through different psychological perspectives. The trimodal theory by Richard Stevens will show how these perspectives can be integrated in an attempt to try and understand human action.
The determinist view that our behaviour is the result of some previous experience suggests that we have no free will to control our actions. As a result humanistic social psychologists have wholly rejected this idea and instead clearly supported the idea of autonomy. Autonomy basically means that we are free to choose what we do and that our behaviour is not constrained in any way. Carl Rogers (Wetherell, Still 1996:101) and Abraham Maslow (Stevens1 1996:152) enthusiastically believed that people implement choice in their behaviour and that the idea that we are not in control of our behaviour deprives us of our human characteristics. Rogers sees our personal world as being unique and believes it is sustained and improved by exercising autonomy. Maslow also supporting autonomy believes in a hierarchy of human needs i.e. when our basic needs such
as food, sleep, security, love, self esteem are met it is then that we can focus more fully on developing our personal potential which leads to self-actualisation. Maslow found that ‘peak experiences’ (moments of high excitement, deep meaning etc) were times of in...
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... (1996) Trimodal theory as a model for interrelating perspectives in psychology. In: Sapsford, R (Ed) Issues for Social Psychology. Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, The Open University
Stevens, R., Wetherell, M (1996) The self in the modern world: Drawing together the threads. In: Stevens, R (ed) Understanding the self. Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, The Open University
Still, A (1996) Historical origins of social psychology: In: Sapsford, R (Ed) Issues for Social Psychology. Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, The Open University
Thomas, K (1996) The psychodynamics of relating. In: Meill, D., Dallos, R. (Eds) Social Interaction and Personal Relationships. Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, The Open University
Toates, F (1996) The embodied self: a biological perspective. In: Stevens, R (ed) Understanding the self. Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, The Open University
Wetherell, M., Maybin, J (1996) The distributed self: a social constructionist perspective. In: Stevens, R (ed) Understanding the self. Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, The Open University
Wetherell, M., Still, A (1996) Realism and relativism. In: Sapsford, R (Ed) Issues for Social Psychology. Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, The Open University
Myers, David G. “Chapter 14: Social Psychology.” Psychology. 10th ed. New York, NY US: Worth
In this essay, I will explore the concept of free will by drawing a correlation to determinism and analyse if free will is dictated for us. I will argue that the future is
Munsey, Christopher. “A long road back”. Monitor on Psychology. 38.6. June 2007. 34. PSYARTICLES. Web. 5 March 2014.
Berger and Luckmann offer a treatise to the social construction of reality that outlines how we formulate the idea of the “self” in social society and how reality itself is socially constructed. “Knowledge must always be knowledge from a certain position.” It is our social position that guides our perceptions of reality and allows us to embrace our idea of “self” within reality. Everyday life presents itself as a reality that is interpreted by others and is subjectively meaningful because of such interpretations.
Schultz, Duane P., and Sydney Ellen. Schultz. A History of Modern Psychology. 9th ed. Australia: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008. Print.
“a person does not ‘inhabit’ a static object body but is subjectively embodied in a fluid, emergent, and negotiated process of being. In this process, body, self, and social interaction are interrelated to such an extent that distinctions between them are not only permeable and shifting but also actively manipulated and configured”
Kimble, G. A., Wertheimer, M., and White, C. L. (1991) Portraits of Pioneers in Psychology, Volume I. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
In this journal I noticed many similarities between Maslow’s Self-Actualization and the Self Determination Theory (SDT). SDT refers to human potential that every person possesses (Deci, Ryan, & Guay, 2013, p.109). In this theory it helps a person understand him or herself. Flourishing and actualization is seen as a natural human potential (Deci, Ryan, & Guay, 2013, p. 10). Similar to the holistic-dynamic theory, SDT uses a meta-theory that assumes that individuals are inherently inclined to be proactive and move towards a greater refinement and integration in self-functioning, which mimics individual 's potential to achieve self-actualization. The substitute for the word self-actualization is fully functioning in SDT. Full function is linked to demonic well-being (Deci, Ryan, & Guay, 2013, p. 110). The Self-Determination Theory has three basic needs, again similar to Maslow’s concept of hierarchy of needs. The three needs are competence, autonomy, and relatedness (Deci,
Ever thought about who controls the decisions you make regarding your daily activities? You may think you control every aspect of your life, but some philosophers have questioned such notions. Many schools of thought explain the analogy of free will, and they present the argument of whether we have the freedom to act or other causes and effects determine our destiny. Free will in this context is defined as the freedom to choose and act where there several alternative courses of action. Theologically, the concept of free will is presented as the power to make decisions on our own without necessarily been influenced by external or predetermined courses.
Hewstone, M. Fincham, F. and Foster, J (2005). Psychology. Oxford: The British Psychological Society, and Blackwell Publishing. P3-23.
Freedom, or the concept of free will seems to be an elusive theory, yet many of us believe in it implicitly. On the opposite end of the spectrum of philosophical theories regarding freedom is determinism, which poses a direct threat to human free will. If outside forces of which I have no control over influence everything I do throughout my life, I cannot say I am a free agent and the author of my own actions. Since I have neither the power to change the laws of nature, nor to change the past, I am unable to attribute freedom of choice to myself. However, understanding the meaning of free will is necessary in order to decide whether or not it exists (Orloff, 2002).
Within and beyond philosophy, lies the tension between the universal concept of free will and determinism. From a general standpoint, individuals are convinced that they rule and govern their own lives. Free will embodies that individuals have the freedom to dictate their own future. It asserts that our minds and essence have the capacity to choose our own actions and direction, whilst also choose alternative paths. Determinism on the other hand, suggests that life is a product of necessity and causation, built upon the foundations of the past and laws of nature. It threatens the thesis of free will by positing that the world and everything in it is knowable through strict cause and effect relationships - eliminating the possibility of freedom
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.
Are our lives only a set out plan controlled by fate? Do our choices and our actions determine our futures? What is the defining factors that affect the course of our existence on Earth? These are all questions that have afflicted society for centuries. As actor William Shatner once said, “The conundrum of free will and destiny has always kept me dangling.” Previously, this debate has been present mainly in the theological world between different religious denominations. However, recently this examination has moved to the secular universe. I am of the belief that we can live our lives with free will over our actions because of my ideas on humanity, my views on life, my understanding of reason, and my belief that there is a Creator.
Abraham Maslow arranged human needs into a hierarchy of five needs, starting with the most important needs which are physiological needs such as, hunger, thirst, and warmth. He then went all the way up to the least important which is self-actualization that is known as the fulfillment of unique potentials. His hierarchy of needs is depicted in a pyramidal form with the most important needs at the bottom as a base and the least important towards the top. According to Maslow, self-actualization is becoming what we believe we are capable of being he also believed that self -actualization is as important as physiological needs. Many people desire to reach self-actualization because