Hard Determinism

Question 1

Philosophical Determinism background

Answer 1

• John Locke
• Based on Universal Causation
• All actions/choices have past cause (Aquinas Cosmology argument supports)
• All events that happen determined by unbreakable chain of past causes, cannot be escaped

Question 2

PD Example

Answer 2

• Late to RS class as mobile phone not working, didn’t know time
• Phone not working because dropped it and it smashed
• Dropped it bc brother jumped out at me
• Annoying due to behaviours praised as a child
• Due to having older cousins who found this funny
• No free will, lateness determined by set of past-causes

Question 3

PD - determinism

Answer 3

• All people determined by set of past causes
• Future must be as fixed as unchangeable past
• Can see set of past causes = fixed, continue to run forward
• Affects everything we do now and in future
• William James “Any other future set of outcomes other than the one fixed from eternity is impossible”

Question 4

PD - Free will is an illusion

Answer 4

• “Free will is just an illusion” - Locke
• People think they have as can pause to reflect before making choice
• All such thoughts just result of ignorance of past causes
• Most people do not have intelligence to see no choices at all to be made

Question 5

PD - analogy

Answer 5

• Man wakes up in bed in room
• Room locked from outside, unknown to him
• Chooses to stay in room + have more rest
• Believes choosing freely to stay
• Reality -> no option, must stay
• Only ignorance of locked door gives illusion of freedom
• In same way, humanity ignorant of causation, gives illusion of freedom

Question 6

Scientific Determinism (Biological Determinism) - Historical Background

Answer 6

• Charles Darwin evolution theory had profound effect on SD
• Part of theory = every living organism must have unique genetic formula
• Humanity must have unique genetic formula

Question 7

SD - DNA

Answer 7

• Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) discovered by Watson and Crick
• Building blocks of all living creatures (instructs living organism how to grow into that particular organism)
• Only grow into human as DNA instructs body to grow into that shape

Question 8

SD - Implications of DNA

Answer 8

• Humanity not free, determined by DNA
  1 - Physical appearance -> eye colour
  2 - Physical and mental capacity -> mental + physical deficiencies e.g. Down’s Syndrome
  3 - Behaviour -> (some scientists) friendliness, confidence
• Person just product of genetic make up, fully determined by DNA
• Profound implication for moral behaviour
• Any effort to change behavioural patterns useless, out of our conscious control

Question 9

SD - Genetic Fixity

Answer 9

• Daniel Dennett (Biological Determinist) called idea people determined by DNA genetic fixity
• Idea DNA of parents inevitably determines characteristics
• Child’s characteristics (so lifelong behaviour) determined when conceived
• Supported by Human Genome Project -> attempted to map genes of human DNA

Question 10

SD HGP Example

Answer 10

• Recent study suggests existence of obesity gene
• Limits production of protein Leptin (regulates appetite + energy use)
• If DNA limits production of Leptin, inevitably will become obese

Question 11

SD Overall

Answer 11

• If correct, can be argued people can be reduced to genetic robots, programmed + determined by DNA
• ‘Puppet determinism’ MAs just act on strings of their DNA (metaphorically)

Question 12

Psychological Determinism (classical conditioning)

Answer 12

• Associated with ‘Behaviourist’ school of thought in Psychology
• One behaviourist concept of determinism = reflex/classical conditioning
• Pioneer of RC = Ivan Pavlov
• Work revolved around his work dogs -> work referred to as Pavlov’s Dogs

Question 13

PsD - Reflex Conditioning process

Answer 13

• Pablov agreed normal reaction of dogs to food = produce saliva -> unconditioned reflex, biological reaction, does not needd to be taught
• Rung bell (neutral stimulus) every time food given to dogs
• Eventually rung bell, no food
• Dogs still produced saliva, even in absense of food
• Dogs conditioned to produce unconditional reflex of saliva to bell
• Dogs had no choice but to salivate at bell

Question 14

PsD Conditioning Definition

Answer 14

• Subconscious repeating of behaviour to certain environmental conditions
• Dogs subconsciously salivated to environmental conditions of bell ringing

Question 15

PsD Classical Conditioning Conclusions

Answer 15

• Pavlov postpostulated all human reactions conditioned responses
• E.g. young child enjoys throwing food, parent gets cross
• Develops association with throwing food and cross authoritian figure
• Conditioned not to throw food later in life
• Every action we do just subconsciously repeating taught, conditioned behaviour
• All have unique upbringings, different environmental conditions, everyone’s conditioning will be different
• Psychologist John Watson similar experiment on baby with rat and loud sound

Question 16

PsD Operant Conditioning

Answer 16

• Behaviourist B.F. Skinner further developed classical conditioning with theory of operant conditioning
• Young child can be conditioned to repeat behaviour, 2 ways
• Reward behaviour wish child to repeat (dessert for eating vegetables)
• Punish behaviour wish child not to repeat (not allowed to leave table if veg not eaten)
• Child conditioned to have healthy diet
• Skinner -> all hunab reactions come from operant conditioning

Question 17

Value in blaming moral agents for immoral acts

Answer 17

• Stole friend’s phone = unhappy + question sense of morality
• HD questions usefulness, no control over moral actions
• Unfair to punish (blame goldish for swimming in bowl)
• Italy 2007 Abdelmalek Bayout murdered man, sentence reduced by year as carried MAOA gene (determining cause of violence), no control over violent reactions

Question 18

Usefulness of normative ethics

Answer 18

• Purpose = moral guide
• Superfluous if HD correct

Question 19

Divine Command Theory

Answer 19

• Religious normative ethic, good/bad will of God
• “Do not steal” so stealing wrong as God commanded it
• Presumption = people have free will choice to follow God’s commands
• Useless if HD correct, unable to do anything other than follow determined ‘will’

Question 20

Act Utilitarianism

Answer 20

• Atheist-based ethic (Jeremy Bentham)
• Revolves around Principle of Utility
• Presupposed people have free will to choose action maximising utility, if not, pointless