Soft Determinism Explained

Soft determinism is the view that determinism and free will are compatible. It is thus a form of compatibilism. The term was coined by the American philosopher William James (1842-1910) in his essay â€Å"The Dilemma of Determinism.† Soft determinism consists of two main claims: 1.  Determinism is true.  Every event, including every human action, is causally determined. If you selected vanilla rather than chocolate ice cream last night, you could not have chosen otherwise given your exact circumstances and condition. Someone with enough knowledge of your circumstances and condition would have been able, in principle, to predict what you would choose. 2.  We act freely when we are not constrained or coerced. If my legs are tied, I am not free to run. If I hand over my wallet to a robber who is pointing a gun at my head, I am not acting freely. Another way of putting this is to say that we act freely when we act on our desires. Soft determinism contrasts with both hard determinism and with what is sometimes called metaphysical libertarianism. Hard determinism asserts that determinism is true and denies that we have free will.  Metaphysical libertarianism (not to be confused with the political doctrine of libertarianism) says that determinism is false since when we act freely some part of the process leading up to the action (e.g. our desire, our decision, or our act of will) is not predetermined. The problem soft determinists face is that of explaining how our actions can be both predetermined but free. Most of them do this by insisting that the notion of freedom, or free will, be understood in a particular way.  They reject the idea that free will must involve some strange metaphysical capacity that each of us has–namely, the ability to initiate an event (e.g. our act of will, or our action) which is not itself causally determined. This libertarian concept of freedom is unintelligible, they argue, and at odds with the prevailing scientific picture. What matters to us, they argue, is that we enjoy some degree of control over and responsibility for our actions. And this requirement is met if our actions flow from (are determined by) our decisions, deliberations, desires, and character.   The Main Objection to Soft Determinism The most common objection to soft determinism is that the notion of freedom it holds onto falls short of what most people mean by free will. Suppose I hypnotize you, and while you are under hypnosis I plant certain desires in your mind: e.g. a desire to get yourself a drink when the clock strikes ten. On the stroke of ten, you get up and pour yourself some water. Have you acted freely? If acting freely simply means doing what you want, acting on your desires, then the answer is yes, you acted freely. But most people would see your action as unfree since, in effect, you are being controlled by someone else.   One could make the example still more dramatic by imagining a mad scientist implanting electrodes in your brain and then triggering in you all sorts of desires and decisions which lead you to perform certain actions. In this case, you would be little more than a puppet in someone else’s hands; yet according to the soft determinist notion of freedom, you would be acting freely. A soft determinist might reply that in such a case we would say you are unfree because you are controlled by someone else. But if the desires, decisions, and volitions (acts of will) that govern your actions are really yours, then it is reasonable to say that you are in control, and hence acting freely.  The critic will point out, though, that according to the soft determinist, your desires, decisions, and volitions–in fact, your entire character–are ultimately determined by other factors that are equally outside your control: e.g. your genetic make up, your upbringing, and your environment.  The upshot is still that you do not, ultimately, have any control over or responsibility for your actions. This line of criticism of soft determinism is sometimes referred to as the â€Å"consequence argument.† Soft Determinism in Contemporary Times Many major philosophers including Thomas Hobbes, David Hume, and Voltaire have defended some form of soft determinism. Some version of it is still probably the most popular view of the free will problem among professional philosophers. Leading contemporary soft determinists include P. F. Strawson, Daniel Dennett, and Harry Frankfurt. Although their positions typically fall within the broad lines described above, they offer sophisticated new versions and defenses. Dennett, for instance, in his book Elbow Room, argues that what we call free will is a highly developed ability, that we have refined in the course of evolution, to envisage future possibilities and to avoid those we don’t like. This concept of freedom (being able to avoid undesirable futures) is compatible with determinism, and it’s all we need. Traditional metaphysical notions of free will that are incompatible with determinism, he argues, are not worth saving.

Bill Nye An American Science Educator - 1495 Words

Bill Nye is an American science educator, comedian, television host, actor, writer, scientist, and former mechanical engineer. Ken Ham is a young Earth creationist, fundamentalist Christian, and the president of Answers in Genesis (AiG), a Creationist apologetics ministry which operates the Creation Museum. They had a debates about â€Å"Is creation a viable model of origins in today’s modern scientific era?† They both talked a lot about this topic, but I will only summary a few. There opinions are really depth theories to research. First, Ken Ham started state his opinions. He asked a question,â€Å"What is science?† He thinks science has been hijacked by secularists. Science actually means â€Å"to know the knowledge as distinguished from ignorance or misunderstanding,† but there is different type of knowledges, like experimental or observational science. People created technology from these two methods. Observational science which is for obvious reasons. Some geologists take present-day rates of radiometric decay and rock formation and imagine that the rates have always been the same. That’s why they think the earth is so old. But we can not zip back in time to test this for accuracy. Students are really important groups in the world. What they believe depends on what they learn. The public schools science books are using the same word science for observational and historical science. They define science as naturalism and outlaw the supernatural. Again, he thinks science has beenShow More RelatedEvolution Of Science Classes At School1653 Words   |  7 Pageswithin an exact week. However, as I got older, I learned about evolution in science classes at school. I soon discovered that many of the teachings of evolution contradicted with what I had been taught my whole life, and it took me awhile to understand what I now believe. When picking my paper’s topic, these thoughts caused me to think about a heavily debated issue in the United States: Should evolution be taught in American public schools? The debate over evolution being taught in schools coincidesRead MoreCreationism: The Center of Our Universe and Life Essay examples1605 Words   |  7 Pagesbillions of years ago. These creationists at least accept the position of modern science on the age of the earth, though they do not believe that one species can give rise to another† (Thwaites). Those who believe in the creationist theory will always believe that all life on earth including humankind was a divine act from deity. The teaching of evolution vs. creationism has a great impact in the classroom system. Most science and biology teachers are only authorized to teach the curriculum of the theoryRead MoreThe s Theory Of Evolution1304 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is Evolutionism? According to the website All About Science: Darwin s Theory of Evolution is the widely held notion that all life is related and has descended from a common ancestor: the birds and the bananas, the fishes and the flowers -- all related. Darwin s general theory presumes the development of life from non-life and stresses a purely naturalistic (undirected) descent with modification. That is, complex creatures evolve from more simplistic ancestors naturallyRead MoreAnalysis Of Frankenstein And The Clock, After Dinner Time Parents Sit Down With Their Children 1653 Words   |  7 Pagesa better future for their children, but Americans are unhappy with the K-12 education system. The United States has spent more money on education than any other developed country in the world. The U.S. is ranked 31st in Math and 23rd in Science and students are falling farther behind each year. In 2009 the Common Core State Standards Initiative was launched, and today it has been adopted by 45 states, but in a survey it stated tha t around 55% of Americans were unaware about the new curriculum (MaxwellRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution And Creation1511 Words   |  7 Pagesfailure. This is where I believe human evolution is most evident, that is to say we as a species have not physically evolved as rapidly as we have mentally, conceptually and socially evolved. What is Evolutionism? According to the website All About Science: Darwin s Theory of Evolution is the widely held notion that all life is related and has descended from a common ancestor: the birds and the bananas, the fishes and the flowers -- all related. Darwin s general theory presumes the developmentRead MoreThe Science Of The Planetary Society Bill Nye Essay2057 Words   |  9 Pages Assignment 2- Folio Executive Director of the Planetary Society Bill Nye said that â€Å"science is the key to our future, and if you do not believe in science, then you are holding everyone back† (Bill Nye, n.d). Scientific phenomena take place everywhere in people daily life. The collecting items demonstrate a clear linking from the natural objects to science and technology and how the educators reform them to become meaningful items for the children to learn in their scientificRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesand Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape Gerda Lerner, Fireweed: A Political Autobiography Allida M. Black, ed., Modern American Queer History Eric Sandweiss, St. Louis: The Evolution of an American Urban Landscape Sam Wineburg, Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past Sharon Hartman Strom, Political Woman: Florence Luscomb and the Legacy of Radical Reform

Feminism in Jane Eyre free essay sample

Feminism in Jane Eyre After reading Jane Eyre, I think Jane Eyre is a great woman. Jane is disadvantaged in many ways as she has no wealth, family, social position or beauty. Jane does have intelligence though, and her disposition is such to make Rochester fall in love with her. Through a serious of troublesome situations between Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester, the author set up a great female image before us: insisting on maintaining an independent personality, pursuing individual freedom, advocating equality of life and being confident in hard conditions. And the most observably thing she shows us is the feminism. In the beginning of Jane Eyre, Jane struggles against Bessie, the nurse at Gateshead Hall, and says, I resisted all the way: a new thing for me. (Chapter 2). This sentence foreshadows what will be an important theme of the rest of the book, that of female independence or rebelliousness. We will write a custom essay sample on Feminism in Jane Eyre or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Jane is here resisting her unfair punishment, but throughout the novel she expresses her opinions on the state of women. Tied to this theme is another of class and the resistance of the terms of ones class. Spiritual and supernatural themes can also be traced throughout the novel. Soon after Jane is settled at Lowood Institution she finds the enjoyment of expanding her own mind and talents. She forgets the hardships of living at the school and focuses on the work of her own hands. She is not willing to give this up when she is engaged to Rochester. She resists becoming dependent on him and his money. She does not want to be like his mistresses, with their fancy gowns and jewels, but even after she and Rochester are married, she wants to remain as Adeles governess. She is not willing to give up her independence to Rochester, and tries to seek her own fortune by writing to her uncle. In the end, when she does have her own money, she states, I am my own mistress (Chapter 37). Jane not only shows me her beliefs on female independence through her actions, but also through her thoughts. Jane desires to see more of the world and have more interaction with its people. While she appreciates her simple life at Thornfield, she regrets that she does not have the means to travel. She relates her feelings to all women, not just those of her class, saying: Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts s much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags (Chapter 12). It is also important here to talk about Bertha, for she is a female character who is often seen resisting. It may be wondered why Jane seems to have little sympathy for her, and part of the reason for this may be seen with how Bertha is portrayed. While Bertha is a woman, she is not presented as such. She is described in animal-like terms, and is called it, not even she in the beginning. Jane describes her meeting with Bertha as such: In the deep shade, at the farther end of the room, a figure ran backwards and forwards. What it was, whether beast or human being, one could not, at first sight, tell: it groveled, seemingly, on all fours; it snatched and growled like some strange wild animal: but it was covered with clothing; and a quantity of dark, grizzled hair, wild as a mane, hid its head and face (Chapter 26). There is an ample amount of evidence to suggest that the tone of Jane Eyre is in fact a very feminist one and may well be thought as relevant to the women of today who feel they have been discriminated against because of their gender. At the beginning of the 19th century, little opportunity existed for women, and thus many of them felt uncomfortable when attempting to enter many parts of society. The absence of advanced educational opportunities for women and their alienation from almost all fields of work gave them little option in life: either becomes a house wife or a governess. Although today a tutor may be considered a fairly high class and intellectual job, during the Victorian, a governess was little more than a servant who was paid to share her scarce amount of knowledge in limited fields to a child. With little respect, security, or class one may certainly feel that an intelligent, passionate and opinionated young woman such as Jane Eyre should deserve and be capable of so much more. In the mid-nineteenth century, a woman would have carried the burden of staying in her place. In other words, she was subject to the generally accepted standards and roles that society had placed upon her, which did not necessarily provide her with liberty, dignity or independence. Yet if Charlotte Brontes character Jane Eyre had truly existed in that time period, she would have defied most of these cultural standards and proved herself a paradigm for aspiring feminists of her day. Janes commitment to dignity, independence, freedom of choice, unwillingness to submit to a m ans emotional power and willingness to speak her mind were fostered by some female characters in the novel. Yet these traits also contrast sharply with some of Brontes other female characters Jane Eyre can be labeled as a feminist role model due to her relationships with men that defied the generally accepted role. While Jane is often inspired by women who share her views, two women contrast sharply with Jane, which emphasizes both her free-thinking tendencies and her role as a woman unconstrained by societal demands. Blanch Ingram and Bessie are two female characters in the novel who have given in to those demands. Blanche Ingram is probably the best example of a woman who does not fall under the category of feminist, due to her misplaced self-worth. Blanche is not deeply in love with Rochester, yet she wishes to marry him because of his wealth. As Jane attests, Blanche cannot truly like him, or not like him with true affection. If she did, she need not coin her smiles so lavishly, flash her glances so unremittingly, manufacture airs so elaborate, graces so multitudinous (Chapter 15). These actions, along with her fancy garments and constant obsession with her appearance, show that Blanche places her self-worth on two components of marriage ability: her physical beauty and the social status that she has the potential to obtain. This stands in sharp contrast to Jane, who prides herself on being independent from a man and not defining herself by the riches Mr. Rochester offers her. Jane also contrasts, but in a different way, with her former maid Bessie Lee. Jane has the ability to finish her schooling and the opportunity to marry outside of her social class despite the challenge. Bessie marries Robert Leaven, a coachman who would be considered in the same social class, and is therefore confined to that class through the end of the novel. Though Bessie is happily married, her marriage contrasts with Janes, which will lift Jane into a new social class and therefore a new life. The heroine of the novel Jane Eyre has undoubtedly succeeded in building up the image of a woman who has the courage to fight against the unfair reality and pursue the equality in life. She calls for women to struggle for and be the mastery of their own lives. During the whole story, Jane serves as a