The Philosophical Question at issue:
Are drug addicts responsible for their actions when they chose to use again.
Technical Terms:
Author’s Thesis:
Society cannot morally condemn drugs addicts for not being able to overcome their dependency, since their upbringing can catalyze their inclinations towards using these addictive substances.
Author’s Argument:
John Hospers was a philosophy professor at the University of Southern California and a well-known author for several ethics books. He was also political activist that ran for president several times representing the Libertarian Party. (John Hospers: Meaning and Free Will)
Hospers defines free will as an act that is not compelled or involuntary, and that has originated from the own mind of the person. Based on his definition of free will an addict would not be consciously making the decision to use again all by themselves. Thusly, one cannot judge the actions that a drug addict will commit after participating in drug use.
If an addict has experienced a traumatic upbringing it can propagate their …show more content…
In this situation, a person who relapses is not freely choosing to do so, this person is being forced to use again in hopes to calm the side effects and withdrawals.
Prolonged exposure to drugs can alter the composition of the brain and how it responds to drug usage. If an addict continues to use drugs two things can transpire either “tolerance or the need for [a] higher dosage.” (NIDA) Addictions can disrupt a person’s self-control and can even hinder their ability to make sound decisions pertaining to themselves. In this situation an addict does not have any free will, no matter how hard they want to quit the substance they are on, there are physical symptoms that cannot be overcome through
Are drug addicts responsible for their actions when they chose to use again.
Technical Terms:
Author’s Thesis:
Society cannot morally condemn drugs addicts for not being able to overcome their dependency, since their upbringing can catalyze their inclinations towards using these addictive substances.
Author’s Argument:
John Hospers was a philosophy professor at the University of Southern California and a well-known author for several ethics books. He was also political activist that ran for president several times representing the Libertarian Party. (John Hospers: Meaning and Free Will)
Hospers defines free will as an act that is not compelled or involuntary, and that has originated from the own mind of the person. Based on his definition of free will an addict would not be consciously making the decision to use again all by themselves. Thusly, one cannot judge the actions that a drug addict will commit after participating in drug use.
If an addict has experienced a traumatic upbringing it can propagate their …show more content…
In this situation, a person who relapses is not freely choosing to do so, this person is being forced to use again in hopes to calm the side effects and withdrawals.
Prolonged exposure to drugs can alter the composition of the brain and how it responds to drug usage. If an addict continues to use drugs two things can transpire either “tolerance or the need for [a] higher dosage.” (NIDA) Addictions can disrupt a person’s self-control and can even hinder their ability to make sound decisions pertaining to themselves. In this situation an addict does not have any free will, no matter how hard they want to quit the substance they are on, there are physical symptoms that cannot be overcome through