The idea that as human beings we are free to choose our thoughts and actions
This does not deny the idea that there may be biological and environmental factors but says that we are able to reject these forces
Determinism
Hard Determinism
Suggests that all human behaviour is caused by factors outside of our control
All human behaviour has a cause that can be identified
This is in line with the aims of science:
To find casual laws that govern thought and action
To assume that everything we think and do is dictate by internal/external forces that we cannot control
Soft Determinism
Soft determinists also acknowledge that all human action has a cause
However, they also suggest that there is some flexibility - i.e., People have conscious mental control over the way they behave
So there are scientific causes that determine our behaviour but we also have freedom to make rational conscious choices in everyday situations
Biological Determinism
The biological approach emphasises the role of biological determinism in behaviour
Modern biopsychologists do admit that environment also influences our biological structures but this simply means we are ‘doubly-determined’ in ways we can’t control
Environmental Determinism
Skinner famously described free will as ‘an illusion’ and argued that all behaviour is the result of conditining
Environmental determinism is the result of conditioning
Environmental determinism argues that although we might think we are acting independently, our behaviour has been shaped by environmental events
It also suggests our behaviour is shaped by the people around us influencing us, e.g., Parents, teachers, etc.
Psychic Determinism
Psychic determinism sees human behaviour as determined and directed by unconscious conflicts repressed in childhood
Freud also claimed that free will is ‘an illusion’ but placed emphasis on the influence of biological drives and instincts