Definition, Examples, and Three Major Positions on Determinism

Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
Philosophy Determinism
Introduction: Definitions and Examples
The question of why or how we do things has over the years generated considerable debate. Philosophers have employed various concepts to try and argue whether what we do is constrained, determined by preceding factors, or out of free will. The main concepts that have been used to illustrate these arguments are determinism, free will, hard determinism, soft determinism, and libertarianism.
         Determinism is the idea that every event or circumstance including all the actions and decisions made by human beings is the unavoidable consequence of other preceding circumstances or state of affairs. Simply put, it is the belief that whatever happens is, to a certain degree, out of the control of man (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy par. 5). Even if someone chooses to do something, it is still determined.
         Free will is the supposed authority and ability of human beings to make decisions or perform actions without being controlled by any preceding events or the state of the creation. In free will, one has the responsibility, alternatives, and control to do things. In free will, for instance, one has the power to decide whether to steal or not. According to List, even the most rigid circumstances leave people’s choices open at least in trivial matters (15).
Hard determinism holds to the belief that all human actions and choices are determined by forces and influences that are absolutely out of the control of man. Precisely, this doctrine maintains that all things must be as they are without the possibility of an otherwise.
Soft determinism states that some behaviors are more restrained than others and that there is an element of free will in all operations (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy par. 28). It maintains a middle-ground approach that holds the view that there is compatibilism between determinism and free will. An example of soft determination is that being jobless does not make one a thief but there is a likelihood that it may push one in that direction owing to desperation.
Libertarianism argues that free will is absolutely incompatible with the doctrine of determinism and agents are endowed with free will. It contends, therefore, that determinism is false. Libertarians are regarded as being right-wing and they advocate for strong rights to individual liberty and private property. For example, they fight for the legalization of marijuana while opposing high taxation and government expenditure on health and education. They contend that the sphere and the powers of governments should be constrained to allow individuals as much freedom of action as possible.
Hard Determinism
 As illustrated above, hard determinism asserts that people’s behavioral tendencies are shaped by forces that are beyond human control such as the state of the mind and the environment. Hard determinists believe that choice and free will do not exist. Many people have found this doctrine controversial and cannot, for instance, come into terms with the conviction that humans have no free will at all. However, the theory of sufficient re...