Free Will Vs Determinism Essay

The Controversy Between Determinism and Free Will Determinism is a controversial topic to free will with multiple theories proving and disproving it. As printed in The Collins Cobuild Learner's Dictionary, determinism is defined as “...the belief that all actions and events result from other actions, events, or situations, so people cannot in fact choose what to do.” Meaning, all life choices are predetermined from the minute we are born, to the minute we die. In contrast, “freewill is an individual taking control and responsibility for his/her actions according to his personal will” (Freewill Verses Determinism). People who believe in Free will, accept the idea that life is not predetermined, and they can independently act however they see fit. Free will and determinism can be further simplified and have multiple differences as well as similarities. Determinism can be broken down into two major groups.
Hard determinists believe that every event has a cause, therefore, no one can act freely. In the video, Free Will and Determinism, the speaker states that society, upbringing, culture, and environment all play key roles as to how we feel emotionally. These four concepts interfere with our lives, and establish our actions. In addition, Honderich offers, “It is not merely a chance [External situations that may occur] or random event.” Hard determinists believe we have unknown forces acting upon us that cause us to act in a certain way. Everything that happens to us has already been mapped out and we are forced to live the life we have been given. In contrast, soft determinist believe that every event has a cause.This results in the person being free (Vaughn, Lewis, and Theodore Schick, Jr.). As described in the video, Freewill and Determinism, soft determinists believe in two types of causes: internal causes and external causes.