Friday, July 26, 2019

Luke's Blog Post

Introduction to Determinism vs. Free Will:

When most people take a step back and look at the world, considering why people do what they do in the grand scheme of things, there are two concepts that should be taken into account. Most people probably know about, and are raised in a system which supports the concept of free will. Free will is the idea that people have absolute control over their actions, and will behave the way they do regardless of internal or external factors. Demonstrating the existence of free will is similar to demonstrating the ability to see colors. It is a sense that exists within everyone, that one must bear responsibility for one’s actions. That one has control over what they do and what they think. When one raises their arm because they decided to, that should prove that free will is the one and only answer explaining  people’s behaviours. Right?

On the contrary, there is a more unsung concept that explains people’s actions. This is the concept of determinism. Determinism is the notion that there are various determinants, or rather factors that lead to a certain behavior. For example, a child who is a victim of domestic violence often grows into an abuser himself, or a child growing up in an impoverished country could possibly be indoctrinated into the military and taught to kill as a child or adolescent. Determinants (those who subscribe to determinism) believe that every situation has a cause and effect. A person that behaves the way they do is a product which results from some kind of event or a multitude of events that have happened previously in their life. The most fundamental evidence to support this concept is that we live in a deterministic world. Everything that happens in the outside world has a cause and effect. For example, if someone drops a rock, that rock will fall to the ground. Cause and effect. What makes the human brain any different?

Most corporations and systems found across the world, are run on an individualistic approach (Free Will). The idea that when someone acts in an unfavorable way, they are entirely culpable for their actions and should be punished. For example, when people perpetrate some sort of evil act they can be sentenced to prison. Prisons are founded on the idea that people are entirely culpable for their actions and should, when they commit a transgressive act, be punished. However, when one views the world in a way that people are not entirely culpable for their actions, and there are determinants that may lead someone to exhibit some sort of behavior, it may become apparent that there should be some sort of rehabilitation offered to these so called perpetrators. Medicine is viewed in this same sort of light. The difference between determinism and free will runs parallel to the difference between medicinal care and public health care. Medicine looks at curing people at an individual level, while public health looks at what factors could be affecting the population and how can people be helped on a grander scale.

Finally, this is not written to criticize people’s view on free will. It is simply written as a challenge for people to view the world in a different light, and consider the various circumstances that everyone faces. People are affected by factors in different ways, and that is something people should keep in mind. It is difficult to define either free will or determinism as absolute truths. The point to be made is, in a world that predominantly subscribes to the concept of free will, determinants, and the factors leading to choices should be taken into consideration. 

4 comments:

  1. This was a thought provoking post. Your opening paragraph about Free Will resonated with me and I thought about the ways in which the actions we take determine our fate in life. It made complete sense to me but as I read the second paragraph the nuances in life--love, politics, spirituality, family and everything else came into view. Any one of a host of factors can make a difference in how we live our lives in the world. Your use of the phrase "absolute truth" sparks questions. Are there any absolute truths? What is the role of context? I look forward to reading your next post!

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  2. This is a really smart commentary on society, and a very convincing call for empathy. I was especially intrigued when you said that demonstrating free will is like demonstrating the ability to see colors; that's such an interesting comparison, and it made me want to keep reading.

    You make your argument especially clear in the last paragraph, which is clever because I spent the majority of the piece struggling to figure out which side I agreed with. It was eye-opening to be reminded that it doesn't have to be either/or. I love that you left your reader with a challenge, that's such a powerful strategy.

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  3. I challenge you to transform this essay into something new - a piece with characters whose lives and actions speak to, or struggle with, free will or determinism or both. Might be an appropriate task to take on when we write backstories for prisoners at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site next week.

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  4. I really enjoyed your clear and powerful voice that runs throughout this piece; you make a very convincing argument. I appreciate your insight into this philosophical debate and I am impressed with how you display the existence of these schools of thought quite thoroughly, and then bash them against each other. After reading this, I feel I am asking myself questions about society and how it sometimes feels inherently paradoxical, how can these two worldviews exist simultaneously? I think you should channel these important questions into a poem or short story.

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