Lack Of Belief In Free Will: Are Humans Free?

Name Institutional Affiliation Course Title Instructor Date Are Humans Free? Freedom, which can be defined as an individual’s choice to do anything at his or her own free will, is essential that someone has the autonomy to act otherwise. If an individual cannot afford to act otherwise due to some restrictions, then the person is not free. Various studies have shown that human beings can act and think free as moral and rational agents. Additionally, the universal causal laws that explain why a human being decides to respond or act in a certain way are indisputable. This paper will discuss why humans are not free and the consequences associated with the lack of belief in free will. As a consequence of not believing in free will, it may appear pointless for some individuals to resist temptation or become convinced that there are no real differences between good and evil. This specific consequence may be as a result of misreading a situation, but a possible explanation. It is important to note that the reality of good and evil is not reliant on free will because the existence or nonexistence of free will; one can tell the difference between happiness and suffering. Case in point, a pediatrician who revels in saving children, is better than a psychopath who enjoys harming them. Lack of belief in free will should feature such differences because they are worth reasoning about. Another consequence of not believing in free will is that an individual has better chances to rid blame and become more compassionate. After it becomes evident that a person could have done otherwise in any given situation, the idea of liability is overlooked. After the act, words such as “responsibility” and “blame” are used only to indicate the need for a utility to correct actions that may reoccur in future. Therefore, one cannot be sufficiently blameworthy if there is a possibility that one could have acted otherwise. In essence, unnecessary blame is evaded, as one can learn from past mistakes. This reduces the likelihood of blaming people who would have acted otherwise by looking for casual solutions while understanding that there were no casual variables to act differently. As a result, there is more compassion when one realizes that people choose to take specific actions due to casual mechanis...