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Pages:
3 pages/≈825 words
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4 Sources
Level:
MLA
Subject:
Literature & Language
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
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Topic:

The Free Will Paradox (Essay Sample)

Instructions:

What is free will and do we have it? In this essay you should define freewill, determinism, and compatibilism. Then, tell me which is valid (they are mutually exclusive concepts). Finally, you must justify your answer.
Your papers are a personal interaction with the material you read for and that we discuss in this class. They should be your attempt "do philosophy." They are not a daily diary of course material. They are not the same as your class notes. Although they are not research papers, they will involve research. They are your personal reaction/reflection to class topics. You should (must) make reference to the authors that I have assigned and what those authors say concerning the issue at hand.

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Content:

The Free Will Paradox
The free will paradox is crucial to the challenge of determining our ideas and choices of human freedom. Certain things in life are more vital than freedom. On one hand, we believe in free will, and on the other, that every event has a reason. Individuals have the freedom to make their own choices and are held responsible for their actions. Even though our objectives and vocations are predestined, the principle of free assures us that we always have a voice. The three approaches to free will are hard determinism, compatibilism, and libertarianism. The problem with free will is that it is inextricably linked to fundamental causes and consequences. This paper examines whether or not we have free will. 
Having free will means being accountable for the consequences of our actions. We have free will to select our actions and results, and this duty holds us responsible for our decisions. According to determinism, everything that occurs has a purpose, which implies that there is always a purpose for an event to occur. When anything moves, it is due to something else. Hard determinists entirely deny the concept of free choice (Galeazzi et al. 1-19). Hard determinism denies free will because it contradicts scientific facts. The rejection of fatalism is a fundamental principle of libertarianism. Libertarianism is based on individualism and freedom. Punishing a criminal has no value in a world of absolute determinism since there is no free choice. Hard determinism does not rule out punishment; all punishment is unfair. To keep criminals off the streets, we must guarantee they get harsh punishment. On the other hand, keeping people in jail has little effect on their chances of committing future crimes.
One of the critical ideas of hard determinism is that humans lack free will. Hard determinism is the view that no one can act freely since there is no free choice. Three statements are assumed to be true in hard determinism: There are three perspectives on why we never behave freely: (1) If determinism is true, we reject free will; (2) If determinism and free will are incompatible, free will is possible but only in a deterministic universe; or (3) We never act freely. Individuals who embrace determinism put their trust in the rules. Here is an illustration: Student X is preparing for an exam. He expects to perform well on the exam and gives it his all. The student was aware that if he did not study, he would fail, but his failure was predestined. If determinism is correct, everything that has happened has to happen. According to Pleasants and Nigel, scientific data shows that everything happens in line with predefined laws and norms (3-30). The result of choice does not indicate its quality. Whether or not someone makes a choice is a matter of chance, but if it happens by chance, whatever happens afterward must have been predestined.

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