Pros And Cons Of Compatibilism

The Argument of Compatibilism
Whether or not humans have free will, or are able to make decisions without outside influences affecting them, has always been a controversial topic. There are many different views on this topic, including the compatibilist view which believes that free will and causal determinism are compatible. There are many arguments about free will that refute the compatibilist view and believe that free will and causal determinism cannot coincide. However, there is good reason to believe that some of the actions and decisions we make are determined due to external factors, but other decisions and actions are not influenced by external factors and are made out of free will. Ultimately, we exist in a way that we can both have free will and be causally determined. The overall compatibilist argument has 5 parts. Premise one states that the standard for correct definitions is common usage. Premise two says, according to common usage, the definition of free will is any act where the immediate cause is from the agents own psychological state. These two premises lead to the third premise that the correct definition of free will is acting by the immediate cause of one’s own psychology. However, compatibilists also …show more content…
Philosophers such as C.A. Campbell and W.T. Stace, although ultimately having different views on the subject, both provide evidence that free will and causal determinism are very much a part of our everyday lives. Even though many people believe free will and causal determinism cannot be compatible, the compatibilist view proves that they can, and do, coincide. Not every decision is the same, and therefore does not have to be made in the same way. Some decisions do not have outside forces acting upon them so they are made from free will. Others, however, are causally determined and are made due to external factors, such as heredity or environment, in an individual’s