Determinism of Human Behavior

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Determinism of Human Behavior

Have you ever wondered why we do the things we do? Why might we get

physical when we are angry? Why might we cry when we’re in pain? Why?

What motivates us to behave the way we do in the numerous different

situations we get ourselves into? Although there are many different

answers that people could give us, there are two theories in

particular that are highly debated with each other. One argument is

that behaviour is determined through free will, known as

libertarianism. Free will, by definition, is the notion that we are

free to make our own decisions and are thus in control of our

behaviour. By this, however, it is not meant that you can behave in a

way completely out of your ability (like lay an egg or fly) just

because you are in control; it means free will in the sense of

rational behaviour within your capacity. The other argument is based

on determinism, which indicates that all our actions are the effects

of external or internal forces over which we have no control (i.e. no

free will). This is more specifically known as hard determinism. The

key difference between determinists and libertarians is that while the

former believe that our behaviour is fundamentally the result of

drives, the latter believe that we behave the way we do without there

being any compulsion to do so[1]. These opposing theories have been

the subject of much psychological controversy. Both theories have

valid points of view, both make sense; hence, does our behaviour

result from forces over which we have no control or do we have free

choice to behave as we wish? I.e. Libertarianism or Determinism?

Libertarianism, the b...

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Washington Square Press (reprinted 1952).

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[1] Richards, Steven. Determinism and Freewill. [Online] Available:

http://www.faithnet.org.uk/AS%20Subjects/Ethics/determinismandfreewill.htm,

5/12/04.

[2] Peel, Howard. Freewill and Determinism. [Online] Available:

http://www.thebikezone.org.uk/themindzone/freewill.html, 5/12/04.

[3] Machan, Tibor. A Brief Defence of Free Will. [Online] Available:

http://rous.redbarn.org/objectivism/Writing/TiborMachan/DefenseOfFreeWill.html,

6/12/04.

[4] Watson, J.B. (1930) Behaviourism. New York: W.W Norton (reprinted

1970).

[5] Freud, S. (1904) Psychopathology in Everyday Life. Reprinted in

Freud, S., A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis, New York:

Washington Square Press (reprinted 1952).

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