Abstract
This paper will explore the many different points of determinism, libertarianism, and compatibilism. Determinism, Libertarianism, and Compatibilism claim some different and some similar points on reality and human freedom. There are many different philosophers that hold different views and arguments on each one. The philosophers that will be discussed are Marquis De LaPlace, Jean Paul Sartre, and Thomas Hobbes. Each of those philosophers played very key roles in understanding the chapter in our textbooks reality and being. With each view there are always conflicts and advantages which will be discussed in this paper as well. I will also discuss where I stand on each view and which one I feel I stand with.
Reality and Being: Determinism, Libertarianism, and Compatibilism
What is Determinism, Libertarianism, and Compatibilism
In our book determinism is the view that human actions are completely determined. Meaning, that that every event is determined by previous circumstances and occurrences with the laws of nature. Determinism is pretty much stating that everything that happens is our lives is pre-determined by our past actions. The outcome is what everything that has happened was leading up to. Libertarianism according to our textbook is the view that people have control over what they do and are free to make choices other than the ones they actually make. Opposed to the view of determinism, libertarianism views are the belief that we have control over our actions and it is not pre-determined by our past actions or circumstances. Materialism and determinism both have similar views. Compatibilism according to our textbook is the view that casual determinism rules our freedom. Meaning a person is only free if they don’t have any restraints.
Claims About Freedom and Human Reality
A determinist position on human freedom and reality is that your reality is determined by past events. Your path from the past will be what leads you to the present. All of our actions are caused by reasons beyond our control because it is pre-determined. Our psychological mechanisms play a big role in our human actions. A libertarian’s position on human freedom and reality are along the lines that we act completely free of our actions and pre-determined conditions in our life, so the opposite of a determinist. A compatibilist view on freedom is that it depends on how our actions are caused and what events led up to that cause. They believe our actions occur not from manipulation but from our desires, as well as that only some of our actions are free.
Philosophers That Hold These Views
A philosopher that was a determinist was Marquis De LaPlace. He was a determinist who believed that human actions are not free. He believed that everything must work according to the laws of nature. When he speaks about the laws of nature he meant the physical, chemical, biological, and psychological laws that determine how things operate. LaPlace believed that everything we do and everything that we wanted it depended on the laws of nature and that would lead us to satisfy what we want. He was a strong believer that human freedom is nothing but an illusion because it is all actually very calculated rather that freely thought out. Jean Paul Sartre was a strong believer in libertarianism. He believed that people have control over what they do and are free to make choices other than the ones they actually make. Sartre made a point that when someone does something they intend to achieve something by their action. Meaning every choice someone makes comes with an outcome they are wanting to achieve. He explains how one person’s action is based off a current situation that exists and the outcome of that action will be a future that is yet to exist. He argued that since we are conscious beings our human consciousness creates us to take ourselves out of a present situation and see ourselves in a future situation that is better than our current situation. Thomas Hobbes was one of the first philosophers to propose a compatibilist view. He argued that although we are free our actions are still determined. Hobbes believed that because he said who we are and what our desires and characteristics are like they were all caused by previous events. In ways compatibilists have the same view as a libertarianist because of the fact that they both agree people are free and morally responsible for their own actions. A compatibilist can also be compared with a determinist because of the fact that they both agree that our actions are determined by previous circumstances and the laws of nature.
Common Conflicts Within These Views
One of the main conflicts of a determinisms view is that the argument they propose states that we as humans never act freely. In reality a lot of our actions are based off of what we want to do but a determinist will argue that the choices we make aren’t really our choices. Those choices come from what we learned or picked up on our past. A libertarian will argue that quantum mechanics can prove determinism is fake. Conflicts that come with a libertarian’s view would be self-ownership. A libertarian’s thoughts that we completely act freely all the time does not take into considerations ones up comings and how they were raised and who they were surrounded by and who they currently surround themselves with.
Which View I Stand With
Knowing what I do now I would consider myself a compatibilist. I would consider myself a compatibilist because I believe that some of our actions are pre-determined and out of our control. But, I also believe some of our actions come from our own decision and that we are able to act freely at times despite the some of the conditions in our past that we were unable to control. When I make a decision or an action my mind automatically thinks about my morals and what I believe in before I make that decision or action. I believe my morals and values are pre-determined by how I was raised. My morals and values have changed constantly over the years, but they always come from the foundation of my family and what they have shown me is right and wrong over the years. Now that I am older I do believe some of my actions are also based off of me and my thoughts aside from my morals and values. I have been exposed to different groups of people, so my values and morals have changed slightly. When I was younger I was only around people my family was around or who they wanted to surround me with but that changes as you get older because you have more freedom. I know I have made some decisions that my family would not agree with but that is where me acting freely comes into play. A compatibilist is a mix of libertarianism and determinism. I believe that myself as well as others are a good mix of both. There are some things we can control and there are some things that are way beyond our control.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the reality and being is a very mystifying topic. Determinism, Libertarianism, and Compatibilism all have very intriguing points and arguments to back up each of their outlooks. I believe that it depends on your perspective and what situation you are comparing to really be able to determine which view you stand with. Each philosopher made very valid points backing up each of their views and what they stand with and why. For me personally, I am able to see things from every person’s perspective, so I was able to side with each view but ultimately, I sided with a compatibilists view.