Psychology
Introduction
The context of hard determinism is very straightforward. It was coined in such term because it implies a strict position about issues and matters that are universal in nature. In addition, hard determinism does not accord with moral responsibility considering that moral dispositions are incompatible with determinism. In this discussion, an argumentative position will be asserted in favor of hard determinism.
Arguments on Hard Determinism
In the case of hard determinism, it is real and it implies that there is no free will. This position encompasses a question of whether people have a free will or everything happen for a reason. For instance, a person taking a walk suddenly took a long step in order to avoid crack on the pavement. Such action is reflective of a certain reason, but not free will. For one, if taking a long step means avoiding the crack, therefore, taking the long step is the result of action determined by reason of existence of crack. For some reason a person would avoid a crack on the ground can be attributed to a lot of reason, but it does not demonstrate that the action is inherent of one’s free will (Kuo, 1987). By any means reason provides the cause of action, nothing is random and every action has an equal reaction that goes as in every action is an underlying reason. Suppose a person act randomly, it does not constitute free will because the decision entailed by random actions is determined by free will, there is a reason behind acting random. This provides and interesting ground to demonstrate a non-deterministic universe.
On the other hand, a deterministic position would argue that people have free will is existent, therefore, asserting that choosing something or acting on a decision has underlying reason and not free will is not valid. This is because providing reason or explanation for every action or decision comes after the choice was made or after actions have been executed. This argument applies even if the choices made were actually free. From another perspective, the deterministic brain is the one that constitutes the choices and actions that people make and even with that any indeterminism can make people less free. Other views contesting the validity of hard determinism can be observed from physical perspective just as physics is empirical and not logical. In addition, some events happen as predetermined and our will to choose from alternative possibilities implies unpredictability of events inherent of the unforeseen causality.
However, determinism may argue that purpose, which is a proponent of reasoning, is something that is being decided and not universally implied (Van Inwagen, 1999). Apparently, the things that matter even the smallest aspect of human existence is decided for a reason. Getting married is not free will, it is a decision and for that matter in came for a reason. Giving up marriage happens for a reason and the universe has no implication to this truth because the causality of such decision is because of a reason. There are multiple and complex chains of cause and effect that people may encounter in their lifetime and none of them involves free will. Choice is a decision between two subjects of consequences and the process involve in choosing is weighing the pros from cons. The question here is why weigh the options and just let free will make the decision? In reality, choices are made based on the anticipated outcome. If it is indeed about free will, then there is no point in choosing or making decisions, but rather let random circumstances become the driving force of human existence and progress.
Conclusion
Hard determinism implies that everything in the universe are not random or product free will because choices and decisions are made before every actions and to that effect the outcomes are never random, but predetermined.
References
Kuo, L. (1987). Hard determinism and the moral ought. Auslegung, 14(1), 37-47. Retrieved from https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/bitstream/handle/1808/9155/auslegung.v14.n01.037-047.pdf?sequence=1
Van Inwagen, P. (1999). Moral responsibility, determinism, and the ability to do otherwise. The Journal Of Ethics, 3(1), 341–350. Retrieved from http://andrewmbailey.com/pvi/Moral_Responsibility_Determinism_Ability.pdf
