Chance

From the moment I realized I was a conscious being and but a spec within an infinite universe I was able to see the chaos of the world around me from an enlightened position; I felt unmoved, and free.  When I opened my eyes and viewed what was before me I could no longer see the path I had been walking on or the footsteps in the sand that I had been following; what I saw were paths of an infinite variety.  My eyes were opened to the Libertarian ideal that humans, including myself are completely free.  Each action and reaction is controlled by the individual in a manner that gives us the complete freedom to choose our own fate. 

This essay will attempt to address some of the flaws regarding casual determinism.

Determinism is the belief in which prior events determine human actions.  It does not hold the individual responsible but excuses them from consequences based on the idea that heredity and upbringing are directly attributed to how someone will act.  This is a very dangerous belief as nothing in life is guaranteed, and to act as if it is would be detrimental to society and the individual.  If you were to tell me something true, I would not accept it as truth until I couldn’t prove that it wasn’t.  Humans do not gain knowledge by accepting truth but by attempting to prove it false.  


“Our ability to conceive what is not allows us to form plans that are not determined by the past or present.” 


By accepting determinism, the individual is ruling out the responsibility of error and accepting that things are the outcome of prior events that got them to where they are; which is simply, along for the ride.


The discussion of freedom is extremely important because it can shape the way an individual views the world.   We are a sum of our choices, and as you said in class, the word choice implies freedom.  William James cited a story that was circulating around the time he gave his speech on “The Dilemma of Determinism” and I found it quite humorous, tragic and to the point. 

“The confession of the murderer at Brockton the other day: how, to get rid of the wife whose continued existence bored him, he inveigled her into a desert spot, shot her four times, and then, as she lay on the ground and said to him, ‘you didn’t do it on purpose, did you, dear?’ replied, ‘No, I didn’t do it on purpose,’ as he raised a rock and smashed her skull.”(James 20)

For the determinist this tragic circumstance was unavoidable due to the prior events that took place within the life of this man.  In his defense, there could be examples of abuse that took place while he was a boy or young man.  One could say that he had his father’s temper and his mother’s love for whiskey or that his uncle had showed him more love than a family member should.  These are all unfortunate examples of what could have happened but as Jean-Paul Sartre says,


"Past or present existence, cannot determine a person’s conception of what does not exist.”  Sartre goes on to insist, “In this power to conceive what is not lies our freedom.”.   


Meaning, this mans crime cannot be excused as a result of prior events because whatever happens in the future is controlled by the individual.  The future is untold and we shape it with each action and each choice and each decision we make.  


“Being cannot determine nonbeing”.

 Now, if we entertain for a moment that determinism were true, would no one be responsible for what they do?  Would the rapist rape because there was nothing else he could do and if so how would society deal with these types of repercussions?  Perhaps a world order could be implemented in the respect that all people could be guaranteed an equal and stable rearing.  Determinism already denies choice and responsibility therefore; within this new society, freedom would not be missed.  The world would function as if it were a machine and its people would have no reason to act out because everyone would be exactly the same.  John Hospers wrote that 


“the unconscious is the master of every fate and the captain of every soul”


 and we could consider this a challenge when creating the perfect childhood.

           
 In conclusion I will leave you with the statement by Ayn Rand,  


“the choice to learn, to judge, to evaluate, to appraise, to decide what he ought to do in order to live his life must be each person’s own, otherwise he simply has no opportunity to excel or fail at the task.”  


Life is meant to be lived, choices are subject to debate, what is wrong is meant to be contradicted by what is right and people must enjoy their freedom.  We cannot excuse behavior as a result of the past or present but use our minds and think critically and make decisions based on reason.