Freedom and Determinism

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  • Created by: Katrina
  • Created on: 14-05-13 11:16
Describe the sociological argument
If you're not in control of the major factors of your life you're not free. You're not in control of the major factors of your life therefore you're not free
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Give examples of major factors of your life
Gender, family, religion, education, nationality, year you were born etc
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What did Freud say about the conscious mind?
Your conscious mind is not very powerful. Your unconscious mind was shaped in your childhood and it is more powerful. Your unconscious mind decides where you go in life.
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What is the genetic argument?
You're genetically determined to have certain characteristics. Your genetics can also predispose what your life will lead towards. eg sex, depression, temprement, risk taking etc
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What is Philosophical determinism?
Principle of universal causation- things always happen for a reason. A sufficient cause implies a necessary effect
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What is the domino effect?
If the past is fixed so is the future, it is inevitable. Freedom is an illusion.
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What is does acausal/ contracausal mean?
A thought just appears and it is not based on past actions
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What is social/ surface freedom?
Being able to do what you want. Being free to choose and act as you will.
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What is the problem with social freedom?
What if what you will is not under control. The problem of origination.
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What is free will?
Being an agent capable of influencing the world. Sources of ones known actions. Actions and choices are up to us. "We feel that we are free; that we are the origination's of our actions
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What was Schopenhauer's water analogy?
This is exactly like water spoke to itself. "i can make high waves, I can rush downhill, I can plunge down foaming, I can boil away and disappear, but I am doing none of these things now and am voluntarily remaining quiet and clear in the pond."
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What was the point of Schopenhauer's analogy?
That we are determined and saying we aren't is like water saying that is decideds how it will act. It doesn't it depends upon the temperature or where is it etc.
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Describe cause and effect
The past determines the future. Morality doesn't exist because the mechanics and physics of the universe can only be the way they are. Humans are made of atoms and if all atoms have a certain place to be they control your actions
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What was Freud' point about phobias?
Phobias are irrational choices which we wouldn't want to make
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What did Sartre say about freedom?
Man is responsible for himself and the world. If you choose to believe you have no choice, you have chosen to feel trapped.
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What is the old compatablist position?
Liberty and necessity are compatible. Our desires are controlled but if there is no physical reason why we cannot reach them we are free to choose the path we go down.
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What do incompatablists say?
Free will cannot exist at the same time as determinism
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What is the argument from unpredictability?
If humans were causally determined they would be predictable. Humans are unpredictable therefore human actions aren't causally determined
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What are the problems with the argument from unpredictability?
Pedictable by or us or by Laplace's deamon? How do we know humans are unpredictable? Does determinism imply predictability?
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What is the soul argument?
We have a soul which is not physical and is not governed by the laws of physics
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What are the problems with the soul argument?
Where is the evidence of the soul? Even if true our bodies are still determined and therefore so are all actions: our souls must be causally impotent. Does the term soul actually explain how freedom is possible?
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What is self-mastery?
Being in control of yourself. The opposite of this is being feral. Self-mastery (rational freedom) is freedom from being feral.
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What does Kant say about freedom?
We are morally responsible "ought implies can" he postulates freedom
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What does Dr Johnson say about Freedom?
I know I am free and there is an end on it
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What is indeterminism?
Not saying you're free, simply that you are not determined.
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What did Heinsberg say? (Quantum physics)
At the quantum level events are random and indeterministic and so determinism is false
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What are the problems with Heinsberg's argument?
If it is true it would only establish randomness and not freedom, it would still make moral responsibility impossible. Maybe determinism holds at the macro level.
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What is the nature of choice argument?
Our choices are more like selections. We choose by applying values that we cannot choose but we simply recognise. Reasonable choice is constrained by reason and ethics and is therefore narrowly circumstanced
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What is the paradox argument?
Is choice really like picking a card or choosing a number. Or is it more like selecting the right answer? If our choice is like picking the right answer, our choice is circumscribed by our values NOT choice. True freedom limits our options
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What did Kane say about choice?
Choice is necessary but not sufficient to be free
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What is the argument about forces?
Everything we do is caused by forces over which we have no control. If everything we do is caused by forces over which we have no control then we have no free will. Therefore we have no free will.
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What are the problems with compatablism?
If determinism is true then our desires, beliefs and decisions are determined by factors that we can't control. It is not reasonable to hold a person responsible for actions caused by beliefs if he/she had no choice about having them.
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What is the argument from experience?
Each of us is immediately aware of having free will therefore we have free will.
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What is the problem with the argument from experience?
The awareness may just be the product of an illusion so the argument is invalid.
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What is the argument from modern science?
Modern physics says that the most basic laws of nature and not determined but probabilistic.
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What is modern compatablism?
Wolf and Frankfurt say that it's not social freedom but positive liberty that matters and this is consistent with determinism. Feral child can do as they wish but they're not free because they're not constrained by rationality and values self mastery
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What is the problem with modern compatablism?
You're always constrained. You don't have a choice in what you do in everything in life as it is all determined and therefore you're never free.
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What is Dualism?
Mind and body are separate.
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What does Richard Dawkins say about determinism?
"the selfish gene" Our brain has provided us with desires which no longer fits with evolution eg contraception. The conscious self may not freely be able to choose although we feel like it does.Your brain knows you will move before you do .
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What is materialism?
The view that everything is made up of science
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Explain the do minds make you free argument?
Maybe the mind is physical. Maybe epiphenomenalism is true eg car is being driven but you're just a passenger thinking that you're driving.Animals have minds are they free?
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What is Fate?
Destiny. If it's meant to be it's meant to be. Certain things in your life are fixed. You cannot avoid fate.
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What is the problem with fate?
fate is esoteric- not scientific. Also fate is selective
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What is the difference between actions and bodily movements?
Someone who performs an action is an agent, someone who doesn't is a passenger. Actions are good or bad, bodily movements are neutral. Actions are aimed at something, bodily movements aren't. Bodily movements are purely physical. actions are judged
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Compare Fate with Determinism
Determinism is based on science and logic, fate is not. It applies to everything everywhere, fate is only some events eg love. Its principle is universally understood, fates is not.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Give examples of major factors of your life

Back

Gender, family, religion, education, nationality, year you were born etc

Card 3

Front

What did Freud say about the conscious mind?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What is the genetic argument?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What is Philosophical determinism?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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