Free Will And Determinism Essay

The concept of exonerate bequeathing plays an important spell in our apportioning blame or praise, and our holding individuals honourablely answer suitable for their doings and actions. In the philosophical work devoted to wholeay allow for at that place is no strict definition of this concept yet it is widely meand to be a condition necessary for moral indebtedness. Proponents of determinism, libertarianism, and compatibilism explain the richness of free will in their theories each in their particular goernment agency (Compatibilism Lecture Notes on submit Will and Determinism).SilenusSilenus, the central hero of Stephen Robinetts The Satyr story, tail be regarded as a staunch counselor-at-law of philosophical hard determinism. Like a true determinist, Silenus, a satyr, does non suppose he is trustworthy for his actions and behavior because he is the cr eliminateion of new(prenominal) person, namely Hench. He explains his enormous interest in ladies as sani tary as his promiscuous behavior by the fact that Hench gave him the extra Y-chromo about which became a major determinant of his behavior (Robinett).According to the satyr, only gentleman bes bathroom be held creditworthy for what they do. As Silenus does non consider himself a charitable being on the one hand, and as he was created by Hench on the some other hand, it is the latter that Silenus believes is creditworthy for him and for both(prenominal)thing he does. Silenus maintains that he does non hunch all over incisively why he does things and that it is Hench who do him akin this, and thus it is Hench who should be held accountable for the expression Silenus is and be depletes (Robinett). However, nowhere in the story does Silenus give any clear explanation why he believes this. all in all, it is translucent that he does non c be about responsibility at all, provided considers it a useful, although peculiar, nonion, which he often uses to appeal to Henchs intellect of responsibility in regularise to influence his decisions in his favor.Silenus desires and inclinations ar caused by factors and mountain which ar outside his check up on and for which, therefore, he should non be held trusty. All he seems to be interested in is having provoke with ladies and taking a drop every now and then. As we know it from the story, his love for ladies is caused by the extra Y-chromosome that Hench gave him. We empennage as well as assume that his disposition to alcohol has something to do with the material he was synthesized from, too.From Silenus deterministic perspective, it descends that he is non accountable for his decisions and actions as they atomic number 18 not free save be the result of his desires over which he has no surmount and which he is not able to resist. Libertarians would adumbrate that Silenus actions atomic number 18 rattling free, depend on his reason and volition, and are not predetermined by any factors such as the extra Y-chromosome. From the compatibilistic perspective, Silenus desires are caused by the above mentioned factors just now as he is still free to shoot in many situations then he should be held answerable for his actions.There is plenty of evidence in the story that Silenus is able to keep back his behavior. For example, at Mertons offices Silenus became interested in the receptionist, a bird-legged girl, who made him enkindleually excited. When she left him after several(prenominal) awkward attempts to have sex with her, Silenus at first intended to chase her just then determined to let her go (Robinett). Given the influence of the extra Y-chromosome, the receptionists be must have clouded Silenus mind. However, he was able to control his surd sexual desires at that moment because Hench could hear her screams and come to punish him. other good example of Silenus ability to control his behavior cigaret be seen during the meeting with Merton. Silenus was cons tantly interrupting Hench while the latter was talking to Merton. When Hench got angry, he told Silenus to be silent or he would punish him later by not feeding him properly. Although Silenus was eager to appear as a disobedient and punic creature, he stopped immediately misbehaving himself and annoying Hench because he did want to eat that night.One more example is a clash between Hench and Silenus which skint out when they came home after the appointment with Merton. When Hench slapped Silenus, the satyr felt like grabbing and throwing his creator across the room. But Silenus managed to control his anger because he know that if he hit Hench he would never convince him not to lead astray him into slavery (Robinett). All these examples destine that Silenus rotter, if he wishes to, control his behavior.The above mentioned examples of Silenus abilities to control his especially violent or un agreeable behavior similarly show that Silenus is able to draw causal inferences in this story. In these situations he demonstrates his ken of the possible consequences of his actions (which could be disastrous for him) and decides to avoid them. It follows that in most cases Silenus behaves wellspring or does not do unacceptable actions not out of a sense of deep pilingstairsstanding of the consequences of such behavior and, what is particularly important, responsibility for his actions, but only because he tries to escape punishment. In many other cases (for example, when he forced Audrey to have sex with him), his unacceptable behavior dirty dog be explained by the fact that Silenus, as a clear-sighted being (and he proves several times in the story that he is and then a rational being) must realize his moral responsibility for his actions, but also understands that he is likely to escape punishment for them.As a rational being, Silenus is fully capable of drawing causal inferences of his behavior, but his acceptable or unacceptable behavior depends on whethe r he is likely to be punished for it or experience indisputable inconveniences because of it and not on his sense of moral responsibility for his actions. In every situation Silenus has the choice whether to follow his inclinations and behave in an unacceptable way or whether to postpone the expiation of his desires to a later time. As we can see, in some cases Silenus postpones his intentions to do certain things, but in other situations he prefers to misbehave himself sooner than control himself. So in most cases it would be incorrect to think that Silenus could not do otherwise than he did.Silenus is in fact a drunk who avoids responsibility for his drinking habits. But the question of Silenus being a drunk should not be restricted only to this vice. He is also fond of having sex and likes being fed well. It would be fairer to describe Silenus as a person who has some bad habits and preferences (like most humans have) and tends to requite some of his vicious needs and inclin ations but who does not want to be held obligated for his actions. For Silenus, it seems easier to enjoy life and satisfy his desires than to control them and be accountable for his actions.Silenus holds clear deterministic views on the extent of his moral responsibility for his actions. Determinists believe that human behavior, decisions, and actions are determined and caused by prior occurrences (Determinism). If all human actions are predetermined then there is no free will and humans are not morally liable for what they do. Contemporary determinists also believe that human behavior is determined by some extraneous causes which are beyond mans control, particularly genetic and environmental factors (Geisler).We do not know exactly whether Robinetts Silenus has ever perceive of determinism and free will, but he successfully applies deterministic views to explain his behavior. He believes his behavior is determined and caused by his genetic constitution that was given to him by Hench and that his inclinations that are caused by this constitution cant be controlled.Silenus maintains that if he is not responsible for what he is made from, then he cant be responsible for what he does. Although Silenus position about behavior and responsibility corresponds to the views of proponents of determinism, it is obvious that Silenus arguments do not at all recoil his philosophical deterministic position in life, but rather are a convenient excuse for shifting moral responsibility for his actions to others.Silenus versus HenchSilenus I am not responsible for what I am and Henchs You are responsible for what you do are in fact compatible. Hench created Silenus with certain predispositions which institute him likely to behave and act in a particular way in certain situations. Hench is the author of Silenus predispositions and the one who shaped Silenus character. Silenus has nothing to do with the material he was made from and he is right when he says that he is not r esponsible for what he is.But Silenus is also a rational being and in several cases he demonstrates that his decisions are based on reasoning. He is also able to control and guide his behavior. It follows that it is Silenus, not Hench, who can be held responsible for what he does. So both Silenus and Henchs positions are correct and compatible. In this story, the problem is that Silenus is not responsible for what he is and extends this irresponsibility to what he does.In the beginning of the story, Hench agrees with Silenus view of the extent of his moral responsibility. In his discussion with Audrey, Hench maintains that as Silenus creator he is fully responsible for him. Hench does not consider Silenus a human being and maintains that he is not able to take care of himself and assume responsibility for what he does. Hench scour goes so far as to state that he is responsible for everything Silenus is or does because Silenus is exactly what he, Hench, made him (Robinett).However, we can also see Hench criticize Silenus for his unacceptable behavior, because he does not control his desires, and also suggest that Silenus should be responsible for his actions (Robinett). It seems there is a certain contradiction in Henchs belief of responsibility for Silenus. On the one hand, he feels responsible for Silenus actions because he is his creator. On the other hand, although in Henchs view Silenus is not a human being, he is at least a rational being as he often demonstrates his ability to express thoughts and explain things that are based on reasoning.Hench believes that Silenus should at least try to be responsible for his actions and control them (Robinett). We may assume from what we read in the story that there is some clamber in Henchs mind as to whether only he should be held responsible for Silenus actions or whether this responsibility should be shared between both him and Silenus. As we read on, at the end of the story Hench comes to the conclusion that Silenus should be held accountable for his behavior, too. Although this conclusion is reached on the basis of his personal grievance against Silenus (because Silenus had sex with Audrey), it is clear that now Hench is firm in his opinion that he is responsible for what Silenus is, but not for what Silenus does.GorrMichael Gorr is a proponent of the compatibilistic theory. Unlike libertarians, who maintain that humans have free will which is incompatible with determinism, compatibilists believe that determinism and free will exist and are in fact compatible bringing close togethers. According to this belief, free will is not a persons ability to break a certain choice independently of prior causes and typefaces, but a persons ability to choose when he or she is not forced to do it. Compatibilists do not deny that our choices are predetermined, but they emphasize that the choices we make are examples of free will if we are not forced to make them. But if we are forced to make what ever choices we make, then this is an example of a lack of free will (Compatibilism and Incompatibilism).If a persons action is coerced, then this person is not responsible for it. But if a persons action is not coerced, that is, under certain circumstances the person can do otherwise, then this person is accountable for the action. Gorrs compatibilistic position is seen in his example of knocking down Jones. Gorr maintains that in the case where another person pushes him and makes him bump into Jones, he should not be held responsible for his action as its consequence is not a result of his intention or choice. In the case where he measuredly bumps into Jones and injures him, he is accountable for his behavior because he could do otherwise. Gorr states that we are responsible for our actions only when we desire for these actions to occur (Gorr).Gorr accepts, unlike libertarians, the deterministic common causation, but he rejects the deterministic belief that humans are not to be held responsible for their actions because their actions are determined and caused by factors which are beyond their control. He agrees with Hench who states at the end of the story that Silenus is responsible for his behavior which is the result of his desires even though he is not responsible for his genetic constitution that determines and causes his desires.Gorr maintains that it is not necessary to be responsible for ones desires in order to be responsible for ones behavior. For Gorr, it is more important to have control over ones actions and not to have control over the causes of these actions. So long as we have control over our actions and it depends on our choice whether these actions will occur or not, Gorr concludes, we are responsible for these actions. And Silenus, regardless of his genetic constitution and environment, should be held responsible for his actions (Gorr).ConclusionWe can partly reject determinism as philosophical proposition and do not agree with the beli ef that whatever we do is predetermined and we cant control it or do otherwise and are, therefore, not to be held responsible for what we do. But it seems wrong to reject or neglect the notion of universal causation which determinists believe is integral to their theory. It would be wrong to deny that some events are caused by other preceding events, and the latter were caused by earlier events, and so on. It seems there exists an unbroken causal chain of which humans are part.Similarly, it would be wrong to deny the importance and influence of factors such as heredity or upbringing on how we make our decisions or choose to behave in a particular situation. So every event has its cause and every human action is also caused by certain factors. What does seem important in this case is, as Gorr points out, the difference in the kind of causation (Gorr). Our genetic make-up and the environment are important, but not the only, factors which predetermine or guide our behavior as we can of ten control them and choose to do otherwise than these factors predispose us to do.Personally, I cant accept the deterministic position that everything that exists or occurs has a sufficient reason for existing or occurring as it exists or occurs, and not otherwise (Causal Determinism). It is hard to believe that human actions are predetermined, are not free, and cant be changed (hard determinism), or that there is prospect they could be changed (soft determinism). I do not particularly like the idea that since human actions are not free humans are not to be held morally responsible for them because in my view this promotes certain moral chaos. I am not convinced by the indeterministic position that all human acts are uncaused.I share the libertarian belief that humans actually do have free will, but like Gorr, I do not believe it is incompatible with deterministic causation. That is why I am most inclined to accept compatibilism which is something in the middle between determinism and libertarianism and does not disparage deterministic causation and accepts free will, and therefore, moral responsibility. I believe that my actions can be in fact predetermined by several factors, but in many cases I still have the theory to choose between two and more options, and that I should be held responsible for whatever the consequences of my choice are.BIBLIOGRAPHY1. Causal Determinism. Retrieved January 27, 2008 from the human beings replete(p) Web http//plato.stanford.edu/entries/determinism-causal/2. Compatibilism. Retrieved January 27, 2008 from the World Wide Web http//plato.stanford.edu/entries/compatibilism/3. Compatibilism and Incompatibilism. Retrieved January 27, 2008 from the World Wide Web http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compatibilism4. Determinism. Retrieved January 27, 2008 from the World Wide Web http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Determinism5. Geisler, N. Freedom, Free Will, and Determinism. Retrieved January 27, 2008 from the World Wide Web http//www.mb-soft.c om/believe/ textual matter/determin.htm6. Gorr, M. Being and Doing Some Thoughts about Responsibility. Though Probes.7. Lecture Notes on Free Will and Determinism. Retrieved January 27, 2008 from the World Wide Web http//www.sfu.ca/philosophy/swartz/freewill1.htm8. Robinett, S. The Satyr. Thought Probes.