People would like to believe that their actions are a result of willingly made choices, but it may not be so. A human being exists in the realms of biology and physics, where the power of determinism is strong, and it is difficult to claim independence from them. On the other hand, humans have the ability to make predictions about themselves and others, some of which will come true, undermining the idea of free will. This paper will argue that the existence of determinism and the prediction argument suggests that people, in fact, do not have free will.
Determinism implies that everything in the universe is predetermined, meaning it has a clear course for how future events will unfold. For instance, genes can predetermine one’s behavior, which is true for humans, although the environment also plays a role, adding to the deterministic approach (Willmott 24, 25). Additionally, physics also operates on determinism, which is evident by performing the same experiment and achieving a single result, although particles have a certain degree of uncertainty regarding their position or components (Scardigli et al. 37). It could apply to humans, too, as they might have some freedom to their actions and clothes, but their overall life is predetermined. Furthermore, as in science, people can make predictions about certain events involving themselves and others. Not one all of them tend to come true, but those that consider the circumstances, the personality, and the reoccurrence will probably do. In the end, those factors have a deterministic value, not unlike everything else in the universe, further depriving humans of free will.
Thus, determinism is inherent to the universe, which is eventually predicted to die. Humans belong to the complex world and are also subject to predetermined fate, although they may consider certain randomness to their actions as evidence for free will. Determinism has degrees, and some can probably reconcile the fact that it can coexist with free will. However, even those moments of clarity are probably an integral part of a human’s deterministic nature, similarly to particles.
Works Cited
Scardigli, Fabio, et al. Determinism and Free Will: New Insights from Physics, Philosophy, and Theology. Springer, 2019.
Willmott, Chris. Biological Determinism, Free Will and Moral Responsibility: Insights from Genetics and Neuroscience. Springer, 2016.