Theses about Do People Have Free Will

Free will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. According to the historical views, the constraint of dominant concern is the metaphysical constraint of determinism. The opposing positions within various debates are metaphysical libertarianism, the claim that determinism is not true and thus free will exists and hard determinism, the claim that determinism is true and thus that free will does not be there. These positions, which agree that causal determination is the relevant factor in the question of free will, are classed as incompatibility. Those who do not believe that determinism is relevant are classified as compatibilists, and offer several alternative explanations of what constraints are relevant, such as physical and mental constraints (e.g. imprisonment or chains), social constraints (e.g. censure or threat of punishment), and psychological constraints (e.g. phobias or compulsions).The principle of free will has scientific, ethical, and religious implications. For example, according to the religious realm, free will implies that individual choices and will can coexist with an omnipotent divinity. In other ethics, it may hold implications regarding whether individuals can be held morally fit for their actions. If time was not the way it appears, even though it is relative and subjective to other events, can we at least know that the past is gone, now is the present, and the future is coming?   This goes along with the discussion of free will vs. determinism- if time could be existing linearly (even if it is subjective and relative), then we cannot that say we have freedom.   If all time exists already and does not occur chronologically, then the future and past present are already there and how can we be said to have any freedom. If, as in Augustines version of time (p 239), God exists outside of time and we exist inside it, but this does not mean that everything has already happened, even if we seem to appear to be living through it chronologically.   It is very true that we cannot live if that is the case. We cannot possibly see into the future if all time is simultaneous. It is also impossible to see into the future if time is chronologically linear.   Moreover, we cannot both see into the future and change the future by acting differently than we predict. This is all explained under occult phenomena.   Philosophers and scientists seem to believe that time is not simultaneous, but naturally chronological.   The past is over, the present is now, and the future is almost to be determined. It looked carefully at any positivity of things outside the confines of scientific explanation. The Magazine called The Skeptical Inquirer’’, offers a large monetary reward to anyone proving any extra sensory phenomenon, and to date, no one has collected the cash.   It is quite possible, for those who insist that they have prevision of future events, that they are merely making very astute predictions based on all previous occurrences (p 300-308).   We may be aware of more than we believe to know, at a subconscious level, and at that subconscious level we may synoptically and critically compile huge amounts of input and have a predictive output of a highly likely future event. Most people do this a lot, and many times we are wrong, but when, once in a while, we are correct, we tend to cling to these correct predictions and see them as extrasensory/occult previsions of future events.   They may be nothing greater than complex critical thinking and logical prediction. We learn from history and become One Peaceful Worldwide Civilization. We are the culmination of the evolution of the fittest warriors and the genetic war winners, so it is an important battle to have the mental stamina to overcome our biologically driven violent tendencies and thoughts.   Chapter 5-1 indicates that we do have the possibility of learning some of the basic and more important lessons of history and, therefore, we do have a chance (maybe for the first time) to stave off the demise of a civilization and to break the pattern that most people objectively observed.   We would always need to (p 307-8) reject and realize the Us-Them mentality (that was once very helpful in survival but is not no longer necessary), stop being so xenophobic and actually aims at educating ourselves so we can learn to appreciate the major differences in other cultures. Other cultures have started as they are for a reason, and learning these reasons can help us accept them and see that we are moving to the end, not so different.   We also need to realize that if we were born in another culture, we would in all likelihood hold the views that the culture holds rather than the ones we hold right now, consequently because of being born here.   We have this particular arbitrary worldview simply because we happen to have been born into this context and not another.   Toleration of what does not harm us can end the us-them mindset.   We also need to consider the myth of race (page 338-40) as the false idea that it is. All of these things will definitely help us overcome and see past religious, social and political differences.   Rational people can and should want to do this.   So, we can learn much from history.   Whether we will or not is a very subjective viewpoint. However, if we do not, our culture, objectively speaking, is probably head ed for the same demise as every other civilization since the start of time. As said by Toynbee, the trend is for the next civilization to pick up the other best parts and resuscitate them into the civilization if we do die.   This might not be the worst thing in terms of the general history of civilizations in the world, but it doesnt seem so more from our perspective as we are the ones going down.   As we move to chapter 4-3 we are able to see some of the concepts about freedom and determinism. The hand that is dealt to us represents determinism; the way we play it is free will.   (p 256) As human beings we would love to see this idea talked about in discussion. Free will is a true philosophic topic that is not the same as freedom/liberation.   It is a question of whether we have free will over our actions or whether we are determined by a materialistic universe. Various free will debate usually comes down to the idea that we are free because we have something other than our material selves (like a soul or a mind- a la Cartesian duality) that is responsible for allowing us free choice. If we are just material, then the debate has been that we are subject to the physical laws of causality just like every other material thing, and that rules out free will and since the Big Bang have no control over what comes next. The similarity to a collaborative effort yielding something that is more than the sum of its parts would make our brains to become so complex that the collaborative efforts of the brain’s physical/chemical/neurological processes have created an end that is aware of itself (which is what self-awareness probably is). Likewise, these processes have led to our high level of rationality- the mental processes that occur have, in a way, surpassed themselves and can turn around and look at themselves critically. Self-awareness and rat ionality are both abilities we have which can evaluate the actual physical/chemical/neurological processes that created them. Similarly free will is another end result of these complex processes. Also, it is the ability of the physical/chemical/neurological (aka material brain processes) to actually affect the very thing that created them in the first place. Free will is a sum that is much greater than its component parts (the material processes) and which has surpassed the actual processes and is able to influence the very processes that made free will exist in the first place. Another very important idea that restated in other words is that just like a collaborative effort yields more than the sum of its parts, the brain (due to its complexity in chemical and neurological functioning) has yielded end results which are more than the sum of its parts- and we dub them: self-awareness, rationality, and free will. These end results have the ability to affect the very processes that create them. Physical processes, once complex enough, create ends that influence the beginning physical processes. In conclusion, the difficulty of these arguments for compatibilists lies in the fact that it entails the impossibility that one could have chosen other than one has. For example, if someone is a compatibilist and she has just sat down on the sofa, then she is justified to the claim that she could have remained standing, if she had so desired. But it follows from the result argument that, if he/she had remained standing, she would have come up with a contradiction, violated the laws of change or nature. References Schneider, K. Clinical Psychopathology. New York: Grune and Stratton. (1959). Weaver, D. The illusion of conscious will. Cambridge, MA: MIT. (1902).

Should Smoking Tobacco Be Banned - 1875 Words

Topic: Smoking tobacco in cars General Purpose: To argue Specific Purpose: To argue that the state of Idaho should make smoking tobacco in cars while children are present illegal. Central Idea: Smoking tobacco in cars while children are inside the vehicle should be illegal in the state of Idaho because: (1) exposure to secondhand smoke is harmful to the health of children; (2) the intensity of exposure to second-hand smoke in vehicles is much more harmful; and (3) the child or children in the car are innocent and cannot defend themselves. Introduction I. [Attention Getter] Visualize that you are driving to work, to school or someplace and you see someone who is in the car next to you smoking. A. It is possible that you might not†¦show more content†¦a. A small amount of the states in the U.S.A. have prohibited smoking in vehicles while children are present. b. For example, states like Virginia, Vermont, Utah, Oregon, Main, California, Louisiana, and Arkansas have prohibited smoking in vehicles with minors (Smoke-free Cars). c. Another example is that in the state of Idaho, it is prohibited to smoke in restaurants, on public school grounds, and near health facilities (State Tobacco Cessation Coverage). 1. If Idaho and other states have passed the law that it is illegal to smoke in certain public places, then they should also pass the law of smoking tobacco in cars with minors. b. It should be prohibited because those children are innocent and do not deserve to have health complications caused by second-hand smoke. III. [Credibility Statement] As someone who is going into health care, although it is in dental hygiene this does not mean that I do not care for the health of others. A. Especially the health of those who are innocent and cannot defend themselves. B. 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The Future America free essay sample

To me, of the many flaws hindering the United States today, the one that stands above the rest is the slow drifting away from the values of faith, family, work, neighborhood, peace, and freedom that America was founded upon. We will write a custom essay sample on The Future America or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The United States was founded as a country of peace, equality, justice, faith, opportunity, courage, determination, hard work, and morality, ruled by the people, for the people, for the people, united together as a community, members of the same body, all dictated under the leadership and guidance of God, His teachings, and His Word. Although modern America, through vanity, consumerism, twisted views of acceptance, ignorance, and a decreasing interest in morality, seems to slowly drift away from these values. Although modernization has benefited the daily lives of every American citizen, there is no doubt that with developments in the fields of entertainment, pop culture, sports, fashion, technology, and self-indulgence, the United States has drifted gradually away from the traditional views in which it was founded upon. Celebrities such as athletes and musicians, for the most part, serve as negative moral examples to the youth of America, and moral boundaries are being pushed back more and more every day. Explicitive language has become an everyday occurrence, and sex has not only become easily accessible, but something that is discussed lightly, as a casual way of pleasuring oneself. With the pace at which our country’s moral values have declined, it would not surprise me if eventually, within the next hundred years, the United States would stoop to such a low level of social and political integrity, that the Christian based values that once served as the anchor to our culture will soon be forgotten. We can only hope that through courage, motivation, and faith, our country will pull through its darkest days.

Racism Essay free essay sample

Deadly Unna and Racial prejudice. ‘Deadly Unna? ’ tells a story about a teenage boy named Gary Black (also known as Blacky), who develops knowledge about racial prejudice in his town. He develops this awareness because of an aboriginal boy, Dumby Red and his sister Clarence. The novel shows us what actions he takes to deal with his feelings about this racism such as; attending Dumby Reds funeral even though he knew people didn’t approve, sticking up for his beliefs with the aboriginals and he also cleaned the graffiti (BOONGS PISS OFF) off the shed at the jetty. Gary’s town is small and his community has lots of views and values about the aboriginal population. They are very critical and cruel when it comes to racism. The only relation the town has with the aboriginals of the Point is football, though the racial prejudice is still obvious. The town and the aborigines have a combined football team, as alone the people of the Port do not have enough players to make up a full team. We will write a custom essay sample on Racism Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When the new group of aboriginals start to play footy, Blacky meets Dumby Red. Dumby is a great footballer, good at everything in fact, but Blacky pretends he doesn’t like him, mainly because Dumby is better than him at football. The fact that Dumby is an aboriginal it is hard for Blacky to comprehend this. He becomes very envious of Dumby Red. When Dumby stands up for Blacky against Mad Dog you can tell that he’s proud of being friends with Dumby. When it came to the award ceremony Blacky was traumatized to hear that the McRae medal had been won by Mark Arks, Blacky couldn’t grope the fact that his town could go this far and yet be so racist. Blacky then became really angry, remembering how Dumby had contributed so much to the team all season. He’d been a true team player and everyone could see that he was the most valuable player (MVP), but no one would admit it. Later on in the book Blacky stands up for himself, and his beliefs against his father, which was something he’d never done before. The town makes up jokes in the front bar about the aborigines, which aren’t true. They also say that aborigines don’t put oil or water in their cars, which isn’t true either. When Blacky finds out about Dumby’s funeral he does everything he can to be there. No one approves of this and even his mother makes out that she doesn’t really support him going, but you can tell she is proud of him. Blacky’s thoughts about racism prejudice in the town are confirmed after the football presentation. Even though he knew his father would probably kill him, Blacky still stood up for himself and his beliefs