B Hard Determinism Be able to define Hard Determinism Understand how the concept of Hard Determinism is supported in Philosophy Science Psychology Skills Focus AO1 knowledge and understanding ID: 774181
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "B) Hard Determinism" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
B) Hard Determinism Be able to define ‘Hard Determinism’.Understand how the concept of Hard Determinism is supported in:PhilosophySciencePsychology Skills Focus - AO1 – knowledge and understanding - Specialist language and vocabulary
Spec Check – Component 3: EthicsTheme 4: Determinism and Free Will AO1 – Knowledge and Understanding AO2 – Issues for Analysis and Evaluation B - Concepts of determinism: Hard determinism: philosophical (John Locke - free will is an illusion, man in bedroom illustration) scientific (biological determinism - human behaviour is controlled by an individual's genes) psychological (Ivan Pavlov - classical conditioning). Soft determinism: Thomas Hobbes (internal and external causes) A.J. Ayer (caused acts v forced acts). The extent to which philosophical, scientific and/or psychological determinism illustrate that humanity has no free will.Strengths and weaknesses of Hard and/or Soft Determinism.Whether moral responsibility is an illusion.
Starter: Think-Pair-Share What causes you to behave/act the way that you do?
What is Hard Determinism? The theory that everything in the universe, including all human actions and choices, has a cause which precedes it.
Key Features of Hard Determinism Humans do not have free will – it’s an illusion.Human behaviour is, in theory, predictable - once the cause has occurred the thing itself (the effect) will and must occur. Humans are not morally responsible for their actions.Rewards and punishments are meaningless / unfair.
Support for Hard Determinism Fundamental presupposition of science.Matter of common sense.Evident in human behaviour.
Support for Hard Determinism What do you expect to happen when the fuse of a bomb is lit?What would you think if it didn’t explode?
Support for Hard Determinism Task – complete the table of causes and effects: Cause Effect You pass your A Level RS examRubbing your hands together. You fall down the stairs. You win a race. You skip breakfast.
Support for Hard Determinism Hard determinists maintain that even if we do not know what the cause is, there is still a cause. E.g. Doctors don’t know the cause of every disease, but they still believe that something would have caused it.
Philosophical Hard Determinism Think – How can one argue against hard determinism?How might a hard determinist respond to this challenge?Hard determinist response = free will is an illusion!
Philosophical Hard DeterminismLocke’s Locked Room Read Locke’s story.What point is Locke making?With our moral choices, we think we are free when we decide to do X and not Y; but in fact we are not. These decisions are causally determined ( universal causation): they are the effects of previous causes, and these causes of still earlier causes, back and back. Free will is this an illusion!
Philosophical Hard DeterminismLocke’s Locked Room Evaluate Locke’s argument.
Philosophical Hard DeterminismBaron d’Holbach.French-German philosopher (1723-1783) who supported hard determinism.
Philosophical Hard DeterminismBaron d’Holbach.Read the text as a classRead the text out loud with your ‘elbow buddy’ taking a paragraph each. Tell your ‘elbow buddy’ all you remember, without looking at the text.Draw picture notes to summarise the key points of the text.Explain your picture notes to your ‘elbow buddy’.
Philosophical Hard DeterminismBaron d’Holbach.Hide the text and pictures!In silence, individually, answer the question on d’Holbach’s argument on hard determinism.Need a hint – look at your pictures (but not the text!) No cheating! QUESTION: Explain d’Holbach’s argument for hard determinism. (Try to include the following words in your answer: desire, law of nature, illusion and fly).
Learning check … By the end of today’s lesson you will: Be able to define ‘Hard Determinism’.Understand how the concept of Hard Determinism is supported in: PhilosophySciencePsychology Skills Focus - AO1 – knowledge and understanding - Specialist language and vocabulary
Scientific Hard Determinism: Biological Read the section on scientific determinism on pages 21-22 of your Eduqas text book.Condense the information either in note form or as a mind-map. Remember that this is AO1 material – your condensed notes should enable you to write a ‘PEEL’ paragraph on scientific hard determinism.
Learning check … By the end of today’s lesson you will: Be able to define ‘Hard Determinism’.Understand how the concept of Hard Determinism is supported in: PhilosophySciencePsychology Skills Focus - AO1 – knowledge and understanding - Specialist language and vocabulary
Psychological Hard Determinism In theory all human behaviour is PREDICTABLE.Human behaviour is affected by:heredity, society, culture and environment.
Psychological Hard Determinism: Behaviourism An aspect of psychological determinism.Behaviours can be measured, trained and changed. How?Through conditioningPsychological behaviourism was first discussed by John Watson who was influenced by the work of Ivan Pavlov. It was later discussed by Burrhus Frederic Skinner.
Psychological Hard Determinism: Classical Conditioning Classical conditioning = a learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired: a response which is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.
Psychological Hard Determinism: Classical Conditioning - Ivan Pavlov Russian physiologist1849-1936
Psychological Hard Determinism: Classical Conditioning - Ivan Pavlov
Psychological Hard Determinism: Classical Conditioning The American Office
Psychological Hard Determinism: Classical Conditioning – John B Watson Watson was an American psychologist1878-1958Behaviourist psychologyMain argument – Behaviour is influenced by heredity and environment.By manipulating the environment people’s behaviour can be altered.Classical conditioning.
Psychological Hard Determinism: Classical Conditioning – John B Watson "Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select--doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief, and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors.” John B. Watson, Behaviorism, 1930
Psychological Hard Determinism: Classical Conditioning – John B Watson 1920:Little Albert Experiment
Psychological Hard Determinism: Operant Conditioning – B F Skinner Skinner was an American psychologist and behaviourist.1904 – 1990Influenced by Pavlov and Watson.
Psychological Hard Determinism: Operant Conditioning – B F Skinner Operant conditioning – link between rewards and punishment for behaviour.“active behaviour that operates upon the environment to generate consequences .”
Psychological Hard Determinism: Operant Conditioning – B F Skinner ‘Skinner box’ Skinner Interview – pigeons http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTND_HGrP08
Psychological Hard Determinism: Operant Conditioning – B F Skinner ReinforcementPositive – E.g.?Negative – E.g. ? Big Bang Theory Behaviourism Recap
Learning check … By the end of today’s lesson you will: Be able to define ‘Hard Determinism’.Understand how the concept of Hard Determinism is supported in: PhilosophySciencePsychology Skills Focus - AO1 – knowledge and understanding - Specialist language and vocabulary
By the end of today’s lesson you will: Be able to define ‘Soft Determinism’.Understand the difference between internal and external causes as explained by Hobbes and Stace.Understand caused acts v forced acts. Skills Focus - AO1 – knowledge and understanding - Specialist language and vocabulary
Spec Check – Component 3: EthicsTheme 4: Determinism and Free Will AO1 – Knowledge and Understanding AO2 – Issues for Analysis and Evaluation B - Concepts of determinism: Hard determinism: philosophical (John Locke - free will is an illusion, man in bedroom illustration) scientific (biological determinism - human behaviour is controlled by an individual's genes) psychological (Ivan Pavlov - classical conditioning). Soft determinism: Thomas Hobbes (internal and external causes) A.J. Ayer (caused acts v forced acts). The extent to which philosophical, scientific and/or psychological determinism illustrate that humanity has no free will.Strengths and weaknesses of Hard and/or Soft Determinism.Whether moral responsibility is an illusion.
Starter 1 point Hard Determinism Illusion Locke 2 points DNA D’HolbachBehaviourism3 pointsWarrior geneGenetic fixityWatson 5 minutes
What is Soft Determinism? Term coined by philosopher William James.Combines the views of hard determinism and libertarianism (free will).Soft determinists argue that human beings are determined, but that they can also be free.
What is Soft Determinism? Independently - Highlight/underline important words/phrases on pages 37-38 of your workbook which explain the concept and main features of soft determinism - Don’t underline full sentences!Make a note of anything you don’t understand.
What is Soft Determinism? Twos/threes: Respond to any questions on understanding.Compare your highlighted words/phrases agree on a maximum of 8 words/phrases that explain the concept and main features of soft determinism. Tell each other as much as you can remember about soft determinism and its main features. (Use your list of words/phrases as a prompt) You have 3 minutes … go! 3 minutes
Quick ReviewWhat is soft determinism? The view that human behaviour is DETERMINED (by our background, genetics, laws of nature, education etc.) but FREE WILL still exists. What is another name for ‘soft determinism?COMPATIBILISM Why is it called this?
Soft Determinism W. T. Stace (1886-1967)Religion and the Modern MindAll actions are caused.Some actions are ‘free’ whereas others are ‘unfree’.
Soft Determinism - Stace’s example:In which column would Stace say the actions are ‘free’? A B Gandhi fasting because he wanted to free India The man not eating in the desert because there is no food. Stealing bread because one is hungry. Stealing because your employer threatened to beat you. Signing a confession because one wanted to tell the truth.Signing a confession because the police beat you.Leaving the office because you wanted your lunch.Leaving because forcibly removed. Free Unfree
Soft Determinism - Stace’s example:All the actions are caused and thus determined.Which causes are internal and which are external? A - Free B - Unfree Gandhi fasting because he wanted to free India The man not eating in the desert because there is no food. Stealing bread because one is hungry. Stealing because your employer threatened to beat you.Signing a confession because one wanted to tell the truth.Signing a confession because the police beat you.Leaving the office because you wanted your lunch.Leaving because forcibly removed. Internal External
Soft Determinism - Stace’s example:According to Stace, for which actions is one morally responsible? Why? A – Free (Internal Causes) B - Unfree (External Causes) Gandhi fasting because he wanted to free India The man not eating in the desert because there is no food. Stealing bread because one is hungry. Stealing because your employer threatened to beat you.Signing a confession because one wanted to tell the truth.Signing a confession because the police beat you.Leaving the office because you wanted your lunch.Leaving because forcibly removed.
Soft Determinism: Thomas Hobbes Stace’s ideas on Soft Determinism can be traced back to the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679).Hobbe’s , like Stace after him, believed that all actions are caused.He challenged the criticism that soft determinism was just the same as hard determinism by highlighting the distinction between internal and external causes .
Soft Determinism: Thomas Hobbes Read the section on Hobbes on page 24 of your Eduqas book.In no more than 10 words, explain what Hobbes means by an internal cause external causeWhat is the main difference between classical soft determinism and hard determinism? (Think about free will in terms of ‘free from’.
Soft Determinism: Thomas Hobbes “When creatures are imprisoned or restrained by walls or chains we say that they are not at liberty. When a man finds no stop in what he has a will to do he is at liberty. Liberty and necessity are consistent like the water that has not only liberty but a necessity of descending by the channel so likewise the actions which men voluntarily do because they proceed from liberty, and yet because every act of man’s desire proceeds from some cause and that from another cause in a continual chain, all actions all proceed from necessity.” With your partner, discuss what Hobbes means in this quote.
Soft Determinism: A. J. Ayer Making connections … what do you know about A.J. Ayer?Based on your knowledge of A.J. Ayer, what do you think his contribution to soft determinism might focus on?
Soft Determinism: A. J. Ayer Read page 25 of your Eduqas book and answer the following questions:How does the language ‘caused’ and ‘forced’ used by a moral agent relate to ‘internal’ and ‘external’ causes?Why does Ayer feel it important that one recognises the difference in the meaning of the terms ‘caused’ and ‘forced’? What analogy does Ayer use to illustrate classical soft determinism and hard determinism?
AO1 Write Up Explain the concept of soft determinism. [20 marks] PEEL P oint – make a point E xplain – explain that point Evidence /examples – provide evidence / examples to support the point. (Scholars ideas/quotes/analogies are good to use here)Link – link to the question and the paragraph which follows You must include: A definition of soft determinism. Thomas Hobbes A.J. Ayer Key vocabulary – ‘internal’ and ‘external’ causes, ‘caused’ and ‘forced’ acts. Examples to show your understanding. You could include: Stace