Free Essays

The existence and nonexistence of free will has been debated since ancient times. Ancient Greeks believed in gods that predetermined peoples fate and this has been shown in Greek mythology such as Oedipus, Odyssey etc. Free will can be seen as the ability for someone to act according to their own discretion. Free will is the basis for the debate about moral responsibility. Some people believe that free will exist and as such we have control over our actions and decisions. Therefore, there is a…

responsible because their actions are caused naturally and or are determined. The question here is what is free will? Historically speaking, it is the action of acting freely; meaning everything is done causally due to the person. Free will and moral responsibility go hand in hand, but the issue is can a person really be in control of these things they had no control over? The problem with free will is that we believe determinism is true, but also that we are morally responsible; meaning we are…

In his book, Free Will, author Sam Harris argues that the premises of free will, [1] “that each of us could have behaved differently than we did in the past” and [2] “that we are the conscious source of most of our thoughts, [intensions] and actions in the present” are false. Harris begins his argument by explaining that free will is an illusion because it is not our own making. Harris explains that our thoughts and intentions are the product of our unconscious mind. The point of origin of…

destined to transpire or a “supernatural occurrence” so to speak. Free will is self explanatory; it is determined by oneself as opposed to some hierarchy power. It is said that what we are, what we’ll become, what our life will consist of, who we’ll be in later life, and even troubles we’ll experience in our lifetime, is preordained. For instance, if I am told I will become the number one doctor in the United States,…

Free will has always been something that I thought was obvious to be true. However, after learning different perspectives and theories about the matter, I am not so confident in my conclusion. Free will versus determinism has been debated by philosophers for millennia. These major ideas of discussion have a variety of different interpretations. Whether we are deciding between major, life changing paths, or simply, opting to wear a sweater instead of a t-shirt on a given day; the selections we…

Free Will and Determinism have been discussed by philosophers for many years. Free will is associated with moral responsibility, and alternative actions that “could have” been taken over the one chosen. Determinism is the opposite view, and is associated with universal causation, and a lack of free will. Determinists believe that a person’s actions are inevitable, they are dictated by a person’s experiences, they believe nurture, nature, and even a person’s genes determine their future actions.…

victim of free will. Free will is regarded as the potential to choose, form opinions and to act voluntarily. In this case of study, Oedipus Rex,written by Sophocles, translated by Dudley Fitts & Robert Fitzgerald, Oedipus, is the author of his own free will and is not a victim of fate. Not under any oppression of the deities, Oedipus is a young protagonist that stirs himself into trouble by his self-determination and his independence to do what he pleases. It is determined that not only his…

“Case Against Free Will” - Protocol Paper 4 RECALL: In “The Case against Free Will” by Rachels question; 1) Are we really responsible for what we do.; 2) Does “Free Will or Free Choice,” effect our behavior. Rachels claim “Since we are a part of nature, whatever happens inside us follows the laws of nature.”; 3) The case of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, who murdered a boy named Bobby Franks, is used as an example to support their claim; 4) Clarence Darrow, the defense lawyer for Leopold and…

existence of God and the problem of Evil breaks down to free will, therefore I believe that although God is all-knowing and all-loving, allowing humanity to process free will created a gate for Evil to rise in the form of decision making. God allowed humanity to exercise free will. This may, in a certain perspective portray God as an evil entity, but he does not command humanity to commit crimes, rape, murder, lie, cheat, or steal. A person’s own free will is the decision maker hence forth…

Free will is a characteristic unique to persons, allowing them control of their actions. Often brought up with determinism, it is the most commonly disputed topic of metaphysics. Determinism the philosophical proposition that every action or event is determined by a perpetual chain of pre-determined events or preceding occurrences. This means that under determinism, it is not possible for any spontaneous or random events to occur. Determinism and free will go together due to the fact that they…