Free will:
- The ability to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or by divine intervention.
- Important relationship between freedom and moral responsibility.
- I should accept blame for things I freely do wrong. If I am forced to commit an immoral action, than I am not.
- e.g. Forced at gunpoint to rob a bank = not my fault. E.g. Forced to gunpoint to give money to charity = not praiseworthy.
- If action has unpredictable immoral effect, not blame worthy.
- Someone who is not in control of their actions e.g. drugs, drunk - that person is not entirely responsible for actions.
What curtails our freedom?
Perhaps we are not as free as we think. Some factors may reduce our freedom quite considerably, and in some cases our belief that we are free can be an illusion.
Genetics and environment
- Genetics - early stage of understanding how much genetic combinations might have on our predispositions.
- In 2002, scientist found a child with a specific gene is more likely to act in a bad way in a similar vein if that child is then exposed to violence they are more likely to go on and abuse themselves?
- The extent to which predispositions govern our actual behaviour is unclear. e.g. I may have biological predispositions to behave in a certain way, but I may have enough will power to restrain my action and apply moral consideration before I act.
Self Restraint and Will Power
Conflicts of free will:
- Freedom to act may bring me into conflict with what you want to do.
- As I walk along the pavements I may find others walking towards me. One of us will have to move if there is not to be a collision.
- At a crossroads four approaching vehicles reach the junction at the same time. If they proceed there will be a crash.
- Individual freedom requires us to think about how conflict is handled.
- We might place our own limits on what we do out of politeness, but it may be that such politeness expresses a social value which everyone keeps to, even if there is no actual policeman enforcing it.
- These societal expectations are not to be underestimated. They may be strong enough to motivate a gay man to marry a woman for the sake of the family or community.
