Free Will, Determinism + Predestination

Determinism Free Will P1-S1.4 : Free Will, Determinism + Predestination Predestination evidence for genetic determinism evidence for psychological determinism P1-S1.4 : Free Will, Determinism + Predestination 1. Determinism 1.1. Implications of Determinism 1.1.1. if we are determinded or only have limited freedom... 1.1.1.1. are we responsible for our actions 1.1.1.2. does it make sense to punish people? 1.2. Main Point 1.2.1. Determinsm - that every cause has a cause, and human beings cannot have free will, as their choices and actions are caused 1.2.2. A determinist would say that our choices are caused to 50% by our genes (nature) and to 50% by our environment (nurture). We differ from eachother because each of us has our unique genotype, or set of genes. We grow up in different circumstances with different experiences that shape us. 1.3. Issues for Religious 2. Free Will 2.1. Humanists 2.1.1. Many humanists would say we have free will (we can chose how to act). They would agree that genes and the environment influence us and that we have a propensity to do certain things, but this does not mean that the behaviour is unavoidable. 2.1.2. We have reason and can make informedchoices as long as outside circumstances do not restrict us 2.1.3. if determinism is true, then all of a person's choices are caused by events and facts outside their control. So, if everything someone does is caused by events and facts outside their control, that they cannot be the ultimate cause of their actions. Therefore, they cannot have free will. 2.2. Main Point 2.2.1. Free will - the idea that humans can freely choose how to act 2.3. Religious 2.3.1. Free Will 'limited creativity' - John Hick 2.3.1.1. humans beings have a body and a soul 2.3.1.2. free will is a gift from God, it is located in our soul which directs and guides our choices 2.3.1.3. our free will is limited by genes, the environment, original sin but we can make rational informed choices when outside circumstances do not restrict us 2.3.1.4. we have God's law (10 commandments, Jesus' teaching in Sermon on the Mount - 5-7) 2.3.1.5. we are morally accountable for our free choices ; there will be a final judgement at the end of the world 2.3.2. Evidence 2.3.2.1. scripture 2.3.2.2. universal daily experience of choice making 2.3.2.3. all the evidence for the existence of a soul we have studied 2.4. Problems for Christians with the idea of free will: 2.4.1. if god is truly omniscient and knows the future as well as the past then he knows what we do before we do it 2.4.1.1. if he knows what we do then we cannot do it (we cannot make the opposite choice). some people argue that it is incoherent to maintian both that God is omniscient + human beings are free 2.4.2. responses to this problem: 2.4.2.1. god knows all possible responses but not which one we choose 2.4.2.2. god knows the end result but not the means we choose to ghet there --> God could know but chooses to limit it foreknowledge in order to allow us genuine freedom. 2.4.2.3. god is transcendent and therefore he does not see things 'before' they happen, all time is the present for God 3. Predestination 3.1. Predestination - the belief that God has already decided the fate of human beings 3.1.1. salvation is not earned, it is an unmerited/unearned gift from God, it is not based on how we act, an 'earned' gift is no longer a gift 3.1.2. Elect - a person who is given the gift of salvation (not due to any reason, randoom) 3.1.3. Reprobate - a person who is not given the gift of salvation and so are in their naturally sinful state and are therefore destined for hell. 3.2. View 1: 3.2.1. Predestination - John Calvin (only believed by some Christians) 3.2.1.1. religious determinism 3.2.1.2. minority view of some Protestant Churches 3.2.1.3. humans are not free, they do evil because of their nature which is corrupted by sin, or they do good because God elected them to be saved ; his grace/holy spirit is active in their lives 3.2.1.4. they have no choice, some are elect others are not; it is God's free choice and gift of grace 3.3. View 2: 3.3.1. Why many Christians don't believe in Predestination (calvin's theory): 3.3.1.1. it seems to make moral laws pointless 3.3.1.2. it seems to make judgement pointless 3.3.1.3. it does not seem fair - why would an omniscient loving God create the reprobate at all? 3.3.1.4. there are many verses in the bible which imply people do have a genuine choice in how they behave (although there are also verses which can be used to support predestination too) 4. evidence for genetic determinism 4.1. Bourchard's identical twin study 4.1.1. identical twins provide a good opportunity to study determinism, their DNA is essentially identical so they have the same genetic material and their upbringing is usually very similar (and so is relevant to both genetic + psychological determinism studies) 4.1.1.1. Bourchard Twins : -seperated a month after being born, both raised in Ohio, met after 39 years apart, had both married + divorced women with the same name, same favourtie/least favourite things, same hobbies, both drawn to the same addictive drugs/substances, both experienced similar symptoms of illness 4.1.1.2. Trinidad twins: raised in very different environments, had taken very different paths in life/different values + beliefs, still spoke the same + had the same mannerism + enjoyed the same foods (spicy foods) 4.2. 'Addiction Gene' identified by Yale Researchers in women of european origin 4.2.1. shows links between racial/ethnic group and substance abuse, certain groups of people are more likely to become substance users (e.g. white women 50% more likley to have two additions than black women), could be used for future generations to warn people of that ethnic group of substances so they can avoid substance abuse in their future 4.3. Fat-boosting gene mystery 'solved' 4.3.1. research showing that cpies of a certain chromosomes will make a person more likely to be obese 4.3.2. two high risk copies of the FTO gene makes a person 70% more likely to become obses than those with low risk genes 5. evidence for psychological determinism 5.1. Example : Stanley Milgram (1963) 5.1.1. stanley milgrams wondered how people were able to commit horrible acts in germany, his did a test 5.1.2. people acted as certain characters, one was a random person, the other 2 were actors, they advertised his test as a study of memory + learning, people would draw their role (could only be a teacher), seeing if the 'teacher' would inflictpain, teacher would hear 'reactions' done by actors 5.1.3. his findings : 100% of people went up to 300v, 65% went up to 450v 5.2. Example : The Stanford Prison Experiment (1971)