Hard Determinism

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Hard Determinism

• Motivations
• Malfunctioning Car
• Doctors Visit
• Definition
• Where human choices and decisions are entirely
  predetermined
• What you feel, choose, and do is 100 determined
  by forces acting on you

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Types of Hard Determinism

• Universal Human Nature Determinism
• Environmental
• Psychological
• Sociological
• Scientific (Physical/Causal) Determinism
• Theological Determinism

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Universal Human Nature Determinism

• Freedom
• People are born with certain basic instincts that
  are just the natural expression of a universal
  nature
• Responsibility
• Your actions are beyond your control and you
  cannot alter your fundamental character

4
Environmental Determinism

• Freedom
• Human action is the direct product of life
  experiences
• Responsibility
• You are not responsible for how you turned
  out--you were as passive agent molded by forces
  beyond your control

5
Psychological Determinism

• Freedom
• Human action is the direct result of deep
  psychological impulses that have been formed by
  peoples earliest relationships and experiences

6
Sociological Determinism

• Freedom
• Peoples behavior results from forces exerted by
  those around them.
• Responsibility
• Since individuals actions can be explained in
  terms of social interaction, responsibility is
  removed from individuals and placed on the whole
  group

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Hard Determinism Scientific Determinism

• The Basic Idea
• All of our choices are determined
• The Principle of Universal Causality (UC)
• Metaphysical freedom is a necessary condition for
  people to have moral responsibility.
• When Are We Morally Responsible?
• Moral Responsibility Does Not Exist
• Since we dont have metaphysical freedom, we
  cant be held morally accountable for our
  actions.
• Practical Consequences
• For Punishment
• For Reward

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Famous Scientific Determinists

• Sigmund Freud
• John Stuart Mill
• Behaviorists John Watson and B.F Skinner
• Behaviorism
• John Watson (1878-1958)
• B. F. Skinner (1904-1990)
• Clarence Darrow

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Illustrations of Scientific Determinism

• The Dog-Chucker Scenario
• Invasion of Mini-Martians

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Theological DeterminismFatalism

• Fatalism
• Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
• Critiques of Fatalism

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Theological DeterminismPredestination

• Critique of Predestination

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Common Objections Responses

• I have the undeniable feeling that the choices
  are free.
• When I make a choice, I could have always chosen
  differently.
• The fact that I sometimes have to deliberate to
  make a decision proves that I am not determined.
• It is impossible to predict another persons
  behavior.
• Influence versus Determination
• Unwarranted Generalization
• Methodological assumptions versus metaphysical
  conclusions