Every even has a cause. This fact is known as determinism. (Sider, 113) Determinism offers a theoretical explanation of how events occur. It refutes the theory of free will which states that people are in control of the decisions they make. Sider, being a proponent of determinism, argues that people’s belief in determinism is reasonable since the success of science is quite evident. All technological innovations owe their existence to science that is able to explain all things observed by human beings from changing of seasons to the inner workings of animals' mind. Despite the fact that science is not able to explain the determinants of human behavior, Sider opines that from a deterministic point of view are assured of the existence of these
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If one rejects free will, then he is of the view that apparent fact is indeed true; this view is called hard determinism. (Sider 117) On the other hand, if one believes that determinism is false, and that human acts are free from external influence, then it is true that people act out of free will. However, some libertarians’ belief in limited causation is called agent causation; this is an attempt to resolve the problem of randomness. (Sider, 120) Compatibilism is a belief that both free will and determinism can and should indeed coexist. The proponents of this belief argue that the conflict between free will and determinism is only an illusion based on the misunderstanding of free will. Incompatibility is based on the premises that: actions are events; every event has a cause; We are free to perform an action X to the extent that there are no obstacles that would prevent us from doing X, and we are not externally constrained (not forced by external causes) to do X; and the causes of free actions are individually determined through one’s desire. Claims (ii) and (iii) are where the compatibilists differ with the hard determinists and attempt to explain how free will can be compatible with determinism. Incompatibilists believe that the true determinism rules out the existence of free will. This is to mean that if determinism is indeed
If one rejects free will, then he is of the view that apparent fact is indeed true; this view is called hard determinism. (Sider 117) On the other hand, if one believes that determinism is false, and that human acts are free from external influence, then it is true that people act out of free will. However, some libertarians’ belief in limited causation is called agent causation; this is an attempt to resolve the problem of randomness. (Sider, 120) Compatibilism is a belief that both free will and determinism can and should indeed coexist. The proponents of this belief argue that the conflict between free will and determinism is only an illusion based on the misunderstanding of free will. Incompatibility is based on the premises that: actions are events; every event has a cause; We are free to perform an action X to the extent that there are no obstacles that would prevent us from doing X, and we are not externally constrained (not forced by external causes) to do X; and the causes of free actions are individually determined through one’s desire. Claims (ii) and (iii) are where the compatibilists differ with the hard determinists and attempt to explain how free will can be compatible with determinism. Incompatibilists believe that the true determinism rules out the existence of free will. This is to mean that if determinism is indeed