Essay on Choice and Free Will - 1511 Words

â€Å"Free will† is the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate. Free will has long been debated by scholars, philosophers, and psychologists. It is a subject that has been argued, theorized, and predicted to the extent of human ability, but recent data has been brought up by two psychologists named Shirley Matile Ogletree and Crystal D. Oberle. These two psychologists assess surveys given to college level students to evaluate the â€Å"common† or â€Å"plain† perspective of free will. They also bring up the questions like â€Å"Is free will compatible with determinism?,† â€Å"What is meant by free will and determinism by the average person?,† and â€Å"Does it make a difference what attitudes people have regarding free will and determinism?†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Yet, another deterministic view held by Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1991), and Velmons (2003) suggests that choices are evaluated on a subconscious level b efore reaching the conscious level and resulting in our final decision. The fact of determinism can be critically thought of as the more intelligent perspective; however, advocates of free will have an advantage. The mere presence of choice cannot be excluded from the equation when deciding one’s own belief. Choice is a vital element to consider when â€Å"determining† whether or not to give sway one side or the other. Yet again, there are varied degrees of the level of belief in free will. As described earlier, libertarians plainly declare that determinism is not compatible with free will. This libertarian viewpoint is also the most extreme of all free will perspectives. Another view of free will is announced by Hodgson (2005) that keenly states nine propositions opposing determinism. Hodgson claims â€Å"As a necessity for free will, the first of these propositions describes a world in which a minimum of â€Å"two post-choice states† (p. 4) are possib le, given the laws of nature.† This represents the fundamental nature of choice first addressed at the beginning of this paragraph. The final stance for free will is dubbed phenomenological free will, which expresses the importance of intentional experience after the decision rather than places the importance on whether or not anShow MoreRelatedFree Will And Free Choice1122 Words   |  5 Pagesalways known permitted the choice, your free will grants you this privilege. Or does it? Free will is a false concept often confused with free choice. Free will does not truly exist, the limitations set by nature and the influence of other people hinder the ability to choose without the impact of past experiences. As Barbara Smoker, a British Humanist activist and freethought advocate stated, â€Å"Free choice means you are not forced by other people or what is outside of you. Free will is the idea that youRead MoreFree Will and Choices1546 Words   |  7 Pagesthat our own experience of some source that we do leads in result of our own free choices. For example, we probably believe that we freely chose to do the tasks and thoughts that come to us making us doing the task. However, we may start to wonder if our choices that we chose are actually free. As we read further into the Fifty Readings in Philosophy by Donald C. Abel, all the readers would argue about the thought of free will. The first reading â€Å"The System of Human Freedom† by Baron D’Holbach, HolbachRead MoreAugustine: Free Choices of Will1004 Words   |  5 PagesFree Will St. Augustine’s On Free Choice of the Will elaborates on the relationship between God, free will, and evil. During the very beginning of Book One, he asks the question, â€Å"isn’t God the cause of evil† (Cahn 357). From this question, it can be ascertained that he searches for a connection between God and evil (sins), which inferred in the writing to be connected though free will. He believes that God does not create evil, but rather that evil is simply the lack of good, since God is completelyRead MorePersuasion, The, And Free Choice Essay2147 Words   |  9 Pagespresent-day persuasion, it has been defined in many ways. There are many common themes that are associated with these different definitions. Activity/process, attempt to induce change, change in beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors, transmission, and free choice is a few of the common themes presented throughout time. (Perloff, 1933) The art of persuasion has always been a part of society, through many techniques people have now been able to persuade others. Techniques such as attention-getting, confidenceRead More Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - The Paradox of Free Will1318 Words   |  6 PagesA Paradox: Oedipuss Free will in the Play Oedipus Rex William Shakespeare once wrote, Who can control his fate? (Othello, Act v, Sc.2).  A hero and leader must acknowledge above all else his honor, and the pride of his image.   In ancient Greek beliefs, a hero was a man who stood taller than the rest; he was able to better any conflict.   He did this not for himself or for any token award that may be given to him, but for the security of his fellow man.   Physical strength and superior wit areRead MoreThe Impact Of The Employee Free Choice Act1024 Words   |  5 Pagesthe Senate of the United State Congress were introduced to a bill for the Employee Free Choice Act. The main point of the Employee Free Choice Act was to fix the National Labor Relations Act. Martinez Orteg Johansson (2008) state, â€Å"It has been 30 years since this country came close to amending the National Labor Relations Act to offer more protection for workers trying to organize† (p. 2). The Employee Free Choice Act is supposed to be an effective sy stem and restore the balance where employeesRead MoreFlour Choices For The Gluten Free Diet1064 Words   |  5 PagesTable of Contents Introduction Chapter One: Flour Choices for the Gluten-Free Diet Chapter Two: Quick and Easy Crepes for the Busy Person Chapter Three: Gluten-Free Everyday Crepes Chapter Four: Ethnic Gluten-Free Crepes Chapter Five: Vegan and Vegetarian Gluten-Free Crepes Best Practices Common Mistakes Conclusion Book Description The Ultimate Crepe Cookbook: 50 Easy to Follow Savory, Gluten-Free Recipes for Everyone Whether your health conscious or it’s for health related reasons, many peopleRead More macbeth - fate or free choice Essay702 Words   |  3 Pages Macbeth – Fate or Free Choice? In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth’s destiny is determined by the choices he makes. The first hint to the reader of Macbeth’s choices comes as a warning from Banquo to Macbeth about believing the witches, or Weird Sisters. Once Macbeth starts to believe the witches, this belief facilitates his decisions to take certain actions. Macbeth’s choice to believe the witches also gives them control over him, which further illustrates how Macbeth’s destiny is fatedRead MoreThe Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protectionism861 Words   |  4 PagesBook Review: The Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protectionism In the acclaimed novel, The Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protectionism, author Russell Roberts, an economist and writer, tells a fictional story that enlightens readers to the wonders of the economic system. Russell provides an insightful, thought provoking story that illustrates protectionism and free trade, while making the concepts and arguments easy to comprehend. The story is told through dialogue with two main charactersRead MoreThe Choice : A Fable Of Free Trade And Protectionism1295 Words   |  6 PagesThe Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protectionism, written by Russell Roberts, is a non-fictional story based around the topics of international trade. The novel’s title does convey what the book is about in a broad sense but is further understood on its accuracy when it is finished. Terminology included simpler words than those of economists so the concepts could be understandable by an average person. There are two main characters in the book, Ed Johnson and David Ricardo. Ed Johnson is the president