he concept of free will is one that intensely creates the definition of what it means to be a human. Individuals treasure the idea that they have the freedom to decide the outcome of their lives and abilities. It’s a theory that gives us control and responsibility of our own lives and distinguishes humans from other animals. Throughout the books The Study of Human Nature by Leslie Stevenson and Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the case of free will took two distinct paths. The first is that there is little to no free will and that the behaviors of humans are derived simply from science or the environment. A few prominent thinkers who agreed with this statement are B.F Skinner Edward Wilson. The other path is that humans have total free will and have complete control of their life outcomes. Followers of this belief are Jean- Paul Sartre and Fyodor Dostoevsky. Science has played an increasingly prominent role in our modern world and has given humans the ability to form theories about the world around them. One
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He states that “biology is the key to human nature (Stevenson, 2000, p. 275).” He also implies that every human action, thought, or feeling could be explained by science and genetics. Humans were described as lacking any goals other than reproducing and surviving. Wilson compares cultures around the world and shows how every culture has the same basic characteristics such as calendars, gift giving, government, ethics, trade, and education. Wilson continues his comparison by linking human societies with ants. Almost all of the human cultural similarities align with the ants’, which is a confusing discovery since most individuals see ants with little to no free will. Wilson promotes the concept of ethology, which states that certain behaviors a simply hard wired into all species. This concept starts to disintegrate the idea of free will and human choice (Stevenson,
He states that “biology is the key to human nature (Stevenson, 2000, p. 275).” He also implies that every human action, thought, or feeling could be explained by science and genetics. Humans were described as lacking any goals other than reproducing and surviving. Wilson compares cultures around the world and shows how every culture has the same basic characteristics such as calendars, gift giving, government, ethics, trade, and education. Wilson continues his comparison by linking human societies with ants. Almost all of the human cultural similarities align with the ants’, which is a confusing discovery since most individuals see ants with little to no free will. Wilson promotes the concept of ethology, which states that certain behaviors a simply hard wired into all species. This concept starts to disintegrate the idea of free will and human choice (Stevenson,