Philosophy

Freedom of the Human

 Free Will – Traditionally been conceived as a kind of power to control one’s choices and
actions; or then capacity unique to persons that allows them to control their actions.
 Pan-determinism – the view which disregards the capacity to take a stand towards any
conditions whatsoever.
 Determinism – the view that nothing can happen other than what does happen, because
every event is the necessary outcome of causes preceding it.

Perspectives on Determinism
Biological Determinism
 Humans are biologically predisposed to decide, act or behave in a certain way.
 Whether humans like it or not, their biological constitution affects the way they decide,
act, and behave.
Psychological Determinism
 Human actions just appear free.
 There are mental states that humans are not aware of
 Levels of consciousness exist.
Sociological Determinism
 There’s no autonomous agent in humans that determine their actions.
 Human behavior is shaped by external conditions
 Actions are reinforced
TRUE OR FALSE
1. Some people are naturally calm and others are hot-headed (T)
2. Some are kind and, others are selfish (T)
3. Some people are open minded, and others are close minded (T)
4. Some are friendly and others are not sociable (T)
5. Humans have no freedom because their way of thinking, actions and behaviors are
biologically, psychologically, and sociologically determined according to pan-
determinism perspectives. (T)
6. Freud theorizes that freedom is an illusion because human decision are influenced by
social institutions. (F)
Conclusion: Humans are predetermined because our biological make up are different and unique
from one another.
Sigmund Freud – Views freedom as an illusion because human decisions, actions and behaviors
are determined by those instincts, drives, hopes, wishes and past experiences which humans are
not aware of and of which they have no control.

 Free will is one unique capacity to take control over his/her actions.
 The idea that disagree with the concept of free will is Pan-Determinism.
 Determinism is the view that nothing can happen other that what does happen, because
every event is necessary outcome of causes preceding it.
 Biological determinism asserts that human action are predetermined by their biological
make up which includes physique, attitudes, behaviors, personalities and disposition.
 Sociological determinism asserts that human behavior is shaped by external conditions
and not by the so-called inner self.
Freud’s Three Level of the Mind.
 Conscious Mind (What we reveal) – Current awareness
 Subconscious/Preconscious Mind – Memories, stored knowledge that can be easily
brought back to awareness through remembering.
 Unconscious Mind (What we conceal) – Fears, motives, sexual desires, wishes, urges,
needs, and past experiences that cannot be easily brought to the conscious level.
What shapes human actions behaviors, and the way they think:
 Education
 Culture
 Tradition
 Religion
4 Major social institution: family, school, church, and the state

Lottery of Birth – Philosophical argument asserting the point that no person gets to choose the
circumstance they are in, rather they are born into it.
Self-determination – A variant of indeterminism, the belief that not all events are necessary
outcomes of events that may have preceded them, presupposes those outcomes are generated by
human decisions and choices.
Arguments against biological determinism:
 As per dualism, the mind has abilities that the body cannot perform.
 Biological limitations can be transcended.
Arguments against psychological determinism:
 As per the Kantian philosophy of pure reason, the mind is still a rational entity.
  Reason can still win over emotions
 Plato says that the reason has the power to govern both the appetite and emotion.
Karl Max – Humans are nothing but a product of their social conditions.
“It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence but their social existence that
determine their consciousness.”
Simone De Beauvior’s Philosophy of Freedom
“One is not born but rather becomes, a woman.”
 Man does not simply exist, but always decides what his existence will be, what he will
become in the next moment.