Descartes versus Hume on Human Will (PDF)

Polemic Paper from the year 2017 in the subject Sociology - Miscellaneous, grade: 1, Egerton University, language: English, abstract: Free will refers to agents' capacity to make choices unrestricted by any definite factors. A multiplicity of factors of historical consideration has incorporated a number of constraints. Some have involved metaphysical constraints, including logical, theological and nomological determinism (Louis 13). Other constraints include physical limitations such as imprisonment, social constraints such as censure, and mental constraints such as phobias and genetic predispositions. It has also been established that the principle of free will encompasses legal, religious, scientific and ethical implications (Brian par. 24). For instance, in the legal realm, free will influences contemplations of rehabilitation and punishment. In the religious sphere, it implies that one's free will and choices can exist together with a supreme divinity. In the ethical sphere, it may have connotations for whether people can be held ethically responsible for their deeds. In the scientific realm, on the other hand, neuro-scientific discoveries concerning free will and choice may suggest diverse modalities of foreseeing human behavior.