Introduction to Philosophy

Achieve Test Prep: Philosophy

The System of Nature The French philosopher D’Holbach presented one of the most compelling defenses of determinism and critics called it “The Atheist’s Bible.” The keystone of his view is that we are inextricably connected to a universal nature and are subject to the necessary and immutable laws that nature imposes on all the beings she contains. Humans are a part of the fabric of the universe, and its assumed that all other dimensions of the universe (both physical and biological) are also subject to causal laws. Our will, along with the other mental states of consciousness such as motivation, reflection, and reason, is produced by the chemistry of the brain and are thus necessary products of the brain’s interaction with the environment. Individual sets of circumstances create a different kind of rational response, and other sets of conditions produce a different kind of reasonable response, meaning there is no room for personal freedom because the particular mental states (will, motive, reflection, and reason) are determined by basic causal law. D’Holbach’s model of human functioning is mechanical—each action is the net result of the forces that are driving it and that we are entirely shaped by social forces beyond our control. Humans, in other words, are pure, malleable lumps of clay that are molded and shaped by their personal and cultural experiences. Free choice is mainly the absence of constraint, while external constraints are ones that limit human freedom such as incarceration, threats, or coercion. Internal constraints limits freedom (e.g., compulsions, obsessions, or uncontrolled anxiety). D’Holbach explains that people are not able to recognize the causal necessity of their actions because the human mind is so infinitely complex and this complexity makes a clear, causal analysis of their behaviors nearly impossible to achieve. This complex nature of the human mind only contributes to the mistaken belief that free choice is possible. Compatibilism Compatibilism believes that it is possible for both determinism and free will to exist within the same universe without being contradictable. Compatibilists believe freedom can be present or absent regardless of metaphysics. Human actions are regarded as free if they are the result of internal motivation, not the product of external influences or constraints. Some believe we must consider both internal and external constraints when determining whether an individual is free to choose their action. Freedom means acting in agreement with one’s unconstrained rational desires. Choices that are not compelled by forces or external circumstances to the individual are said to be free. On the other hand, unfree choices are those that are forced in both cases the actions are causally determined. Free choices are distinguished from unfree choices by their underlying factors. Choices that allow us to express our natural desires are free and as a result, we responsible for the outcomes of those decisions despite not always being conscious of our thoughts.

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