Introduction to Philosophy

Achieve Test Prep: Philosophy

basic temperament, physical qualities, etc.) dynamically interacts with environmental factors to gradually shape your development in complex ways. The above-listed psychologists are both determinists because they believe that every choice you make is the necessary consequence of antecedent factors in your experience. There is no freedom of choice in these deterministic systems, and any feelings of freedom that we experience are mere illusions without substance and reality. Other thinkers such as James and Sartre believe that personal freedom is real and that we are capable of making free choices independent of any influencing factors beyond our control. These thinkers are indeterminists and think that until clear evidence to the contrary is presented, we are entitled to put our trust in our belief in freedom (and responsibility). Our core beliefs in morality are founded on the conviction that people make free choices and that they are responsible for the free choices that they make. The third perspective on the possibility of human freedom is compatibilists (soft determinists) who believe the opposite of compulsion is freedom. People that are allowed to act on their desires without being impeded upon by external forces are free. Even though our natural desires may be causally determined by factors in their personal history by universal laws. Many believe that soft determinism defines free choice in a narrowly limited way and that it is just a variation of determinism. The first step to increasing your freedom is to become aware of the constraints on your existence. A lot of the choices we make are not free because the forces of others influence our decisions. By eliminating external forces, you free yourself to make decisions that reflect your genuine desires. Your choice may also be the result of internal constraints or irrational impulses that enslave you. The compulsions within that inhibit you from making choices that originate from your real needs and wants. All of the experiences you have had will have influenced who you are, and these experiences cannot be changed, and with this knowledge, you can move to the next level. This is where free choice comes in—although you cannot control what has happened in the past , you can control how you respond to previous events.

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