Determinism and Free Will. Understood by Few (PDF)

Essay from the year 2009 in the subject Didactics - English - Discussion and Essays, grade: A, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, course: English , language: English, abstract: Many lives continue to glow brightly as they journey on throughout the course of their existence. It is in these lives, that we are exposed to the joys and wonders of the world through the subjective interpretation of our own experiences. Pivotal decisions are made everyday which continually dictate the opportunities available to us. Yet one question remains unclear, who makes these decisions?

Naturally, many people believe that these decisions are our own to make. This belief, referred to as "free will," implies that we have a conscious choice between one option and numerous alternatives. The ability to make a decision based on these circumstances implies that the mind is free.

Alternatively, the less popular view of determinism suggests that we have no free will; decisions are made based on an antecedent casual chain of events. In other words, before choices are presented a decision is already made, or pre-determined, and cannot be deviated from. In this regard, the mind is preconditioned based on experiences, genetics, and other factors. In essence, the mind is not free.
Following these views, it should not come as a surprise that free will, often synonymous with freedom, is regarded more reputably. However, this belief is unsupported by empirical evidence and neglects the surrounding factors that influence cognitive processes. In other words, a broad spectrum of circumstances, both past and present, influences behavior and opportunities. By adopting a determinist perspective, people will learn to see beyond the surface of what is available to them. It is with this that a deeper understanding of context and casual factors, which influence behavior and events, can be used to decipher the world around us. By achieving this new outlook, people will be capable of joining an elite esoteric group which provides a foundation for awareness, understanding, and growth.

"Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for the insect as well as the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper" (Albert Einstein).