Free will and Determinism

To consider the extent of our freewill

To examine the significance of this debate to Psychological theory

To what extent do human beings exercise control over their own

actions and decisions?

What do you think?

? ?

KEY VOCABULARY

Two extremes of the debate

FREEWILL DETERMINISM

The view that individuals are forced to behave in certain ways by factors outside of their control

The argument that individuals have complete control over their own actions and decisions

vs.

Although we like to believe that we have autonomy and self-control, our free will is limited by a range of factors.

Identify at least five ways in which your freedom to act is limited.

?

EVALUATING

There are problems associated with both sides of this debate.

Fails to account for creativity and individuality

FREEWILL DETERMINISM

Unrealistic – we do not have literal freewill

No basis for morality or legal responsibility.

Fails to explain order and patterned behaviour

SOLUTIONS?

Both sides of the debate have an element of truth – and they are not mutually exclusive.

SOFT DETERMINISMFree will is exercised within constraints - although it is not unlimited, we make choices & decisions in our daily lives.

We are all subject to the “laws of nature”

All events predetermined as a chain of cause-and-effect.

Concerned with the nature of “fate” and a “divine plan” – holds that our lives are predetermined by god / divine being.

Our surroundings shape and determines behaviour

Inherited DNA causes us to behave and think in certain ways

Legal and agreed frameworks limit and permit certain behaviours

The brain is just a complex computer programmed to have particular thoughts.

Our past experiences predispose us to certain behaviours

SPEED DATING! (KNOWLEDGE)

• You will all be given a piece of card holding one or two arguments surrounding the Free will/determinism debate.

• You will be given 5 minutes to read through your argument(s), make brief notes in your own words and be ready to pass this information on to others with confidence

• We will start the ‘speed dating’ process!• You will have 3 minutes with each date to get as much information

as you can (you will be given pieces of card/paper to make some notes.)

• Before you move on (to the sound of the whistle!), give your date a score out of 5 on your score card! (rewards will be given out to those with the highest scores!)

Don’t worry if you haven’t seen everybody! As long as you have arguments from both sides!

You can now place your arguments on the ‘scales’ to represent which side of the argument they support!