Philosophy

Philosophy Study Guide

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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