Free

Free Will in Experimental Philosophy Essay Although the â€Å"free will† problem envelops a spectrum of ideas, I agree with the following belief: â€Å"The folk are compatibilists about free will. † While there are, of course, incompatibilists and indeterminists, for the most part, the general population consists of compatibilists. Now, I know experimental philosophy has a problem with the use of generalizations without actual statistics, but throughout this paper, I will explain exactly why the world revolves in a generally compatibilist manner. Firstly, to speak of compatibilism, you’d have to assume that the world is deterministic, meaning that everything that happens from here on out, including human action, is caused by the facts of everything that has happened before it. With that assumption in mind, compatibilist believe that we still have free will as long as we aren’t operating under external limitations. The problem with that is that although compatibilists believe we are free, there is still disagreement on just exactly how free we may be, which is the weak spot indeterminists and incompatibilists use to try to break the argument. One nature of compatibilism is referred to as classic compatibilism. This means that we’d be acting freely as long as we, without being impeded by any outside force, take a course of action that we personally choose for ourselves. These compatibilists believe that it is the presence of impediments such as â€Å"physical restraints, lack of opportunity, duress or coercion, physical or mental impairment, and the like† that would cause us to not act freely (Caruso, 2012). However, this line of reasoning is not accepted by those who support the Consequence Argument. In the simplest terms, this argument states that no one has power over the facts of the past and the laws of nature. Also, no one has power over the fact that the facts of the past and the laws of nature entail every fact of the future (i. e. , determinism is true). Because of that, no one has power over the facts of the future (McKenna, 2004). Compatibilists respond to this by saying that the focal point should be the differentiation between free and un-free, and not by the absence of causes. Other philosophers argue that we act freely when our first order and second order desires become aligned. Because our mental processes are more developed than those of younger children and simpler animals, we have the rationale to decide whether our instincts or raw desires should be acted upon. That rationale is referred to as the second order desires (Frankfurt, 1971). For example, Chris is at the bar with his girlfriend Ana. While Chris has stepped away to the restroom, Jose approaches Ana and flirts with her in a manner that she does not feel comfortable with. Once out of the bathroom, Chris sees this. Enraged, he initially wants to go and physically put Jose in his place. In spite of this, he remembers that he is up for a promotion at work, and getting into a bar fight probably won’t help his chances of receiving it. He tells Ana to collect her things. They leave. What we see here is the protagonist, Chris, experiencing first order desires that make him want to hurt Jose. His second order desires are what tell him that although he is feeling those first order desires, his second order desires are not in agreement and therefore, he shouldn’t act on them. Although some compatibilists seem to be satisfied with this reasoning because it justifies the causation of our actions, it doesn’t explain whether our thoughts and desires are consequences of the past as well. An example would be that Kate feels the desire to take a run in the park and does so. Yet, if determinism is true, which compatibilists believe it is, she is already determined to feel that way, and although she may want to feel that way, without any outside force acting on her she is not free (McKenna, 2004). Her first order and second order desires may even align, but without the ability to do otherwise, due to determinism, she would not be free. Even so, compatibilist Michael Levin says â€Å"minding or accepting one’s desires is as much an effect of past causes as the desires themselves,† but if our internal desires are causally determined, they cannot also be free. All it would be is a different form of causality (Caruso, 2012). Nevertheless, compatibilists argue that it isn’t necessary for an individual to have been able to do otherwise (Nahmias, Stephen, Nadelhoffer, Turner, 2005). If there were the choices of A through Z and someone that could manipulate me into doing A that would do so if I didn’t do it on my own, I would still have free will if I picked A without the manipulation. In this case, compatibilist see me as having had free will because I chose A on my own. My 1st order desires were aligned with my 2nd and that is why A happened. If I had been manipulated to do so, then the problem of free will would once again come into question, but being that the manipulator is fairly irrelevant to the story since I acted on my own accord, and would have done the same thing without the potential manipulative factor. Also, there a couple of studies done to determine what relationship non-philosophers believed existed between free will, determinism, and moral responsibility. In Study 1, there were three scenarios. Scenario 1 was negative. Scenario 2 was positive, and Scenario 3 was neutral. In all three cases, between 68 – 79% of folk said there was free will. While there were some fluctuations in percentages when it came to the association between free will and the ability to choose otherwise, the amount of participants making judgments that disagreed with incompatibilism was two to three times greater than those that followed along with incompatibilist intuitions. This study was supported by their second study. In this study, they tell the subjects that everything in the universe is caused completely by their genes and environment. The scenario takes twins, Fred and Barney, and places Fred with the Jerksons and Barney with the Kindersons. One day they both find a wallet with $1000. Fred keeps it, while Barney returns it to its rightful owner. When polling the participants, 76% said they both acted on their own free will and could have done otherwise. This shows that the majority of folk believe that compatibilism is true, and while external factors and facts of the past might influence the choice making process, it does not define it; therefore we are free within the confines of a determined universe (Nahmias, Stephen, Nadelhoffer, Turner, 2005). Now, why do I personally find â€Å"the folk are compatibilist about free will† to be true? Aside from the aforementioned statistics, the reason is that if we did not find a middle ground between free will and determinism, we wouldn’t do any of the things we do. Everything from the grading systems used in schools to receiving a promotion at work all the way to fighting wars is done in a compatibilist manner. The premise of all these concepts is the idea that if you choose do X, having the option of Y, Z will happen. If you work hard enough in school (X), you will receive good grades (Z), even though you can just be lazy (Y). If you are the most productive and pleasant at your job (X), you will receive a promotion (Z). If we go into a war (X), we have the chance of winning (Z). While all the factors in each of those scenarios might have also been determined, there is no reason for us to feel disappointment when we really studied but still managed to only get a B on a test or when we lose troops across seas. Though the previous paragraph does explain that folk believe in free will, it doesn’t explain why folk have the compatibilist view of free will. The reasoning for that is because while compatibilists believe that you can control some aspects of your life, you can’t control all of them. As Michael Levin said, â€Å"Compatibilist usually agree that free will does require behavior at least to be determined, since you cannot freely do what is beyond your control. † For example, we are born and we die. The sun rises. The sun sets. We inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. There are certain laws of physics that we must adhere to. Some will argue that we believe those to be stable laws of how the universe will operate, but only because that’s what it’s done until now. Tomorrow we might not have the sun rise, and tomorrow we might inhale carbon monoxide and exhale nitrogen. However, since certain things have been fixed for a trustworthy amount of time, we, the folk, have accepted it as determined facts of the universe. The determined factors of the universe are the skeleton upon which we place the flesh that is our free will. ? References Caruso, G. D. (2012). The Folk Psychology of Free Will: Arguement Against Compatibilism. Kriterion Journal of Philosophy, 26, 56-89. Frankfurt, H. G. (1971, January 14). Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person. The Journal of Philosophy, 5-20. McKenna, M. (2004, April 26). Compatibilism. Retrieved from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/compatibilism/ Nahmias, E. , Stephen, M. , Nadelhoffer, T. , Turner, J. (2005, October). Surverying Freedom: Folk Intuitions about Free Will and Moral Responsibility. Philosophical Psychology, 18(5), 561 584.

Womens Rights Versus Gods Will Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research

Women's Rights Versus God's Will It seems these days that everyone is concerned with their rights. People feel that there are certain rights that they should have regardless of their race, religion, sex, and so forth. And rightfully so – everyone is entitled to basic human rights. Many belonging to specific groups – such as women, and homosexuals - feel that these basic rights aren't enough and that they need more. They feel that their group should be granted special "rights," which aren't really rights at all. The early advocates of women's rights started out with good intentions – they were fighting for the abolition of slavery, suffrage for women and equal pay for men and women, among other similar rights. The first major turning point in the advocates' battle was on July 19th and 20th of 1848. On those dates, the Seneca Falls Convention was held in New York. The men and women at the convention created a document called the Declaration of Sentiments, which they based on the Declaration of Independence. This document created a foundation, a source of where to go, how to go about getting the government to recognize the rights to which they were entitled. As time went on, woman suffrage advocates like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed organizations, such as the NWSA (National Woman Suffrage Association) and the AWSA (American Woman Suffrage Association). Eventually, after the formation of other organizations and after lots of support raising within states, women were granted the right to vote on August 26, 1920. Women's groups didn't stop at getting the right to vote. They worked toward receiving equal pay, equal educational opportunities, and equal job opportunities. In 1963, Congress passed a law req... ...ww.family.org/fofmag/sl/a0010612.html, February 13, 2002. "Ms. Herstory." (Online). Available http://64.29.220.68/msherstory.asp, February 12, 2002. "National Organization for Women (NOW)". Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com (12 Feb. 2002) "Roe v. Wade". Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com (12 Feb. 2002) Wheeler, Marjorie Spruill. "The History of the Suffrage Movement." (Online). Available http://www.pbs.org/onewoman/suffrage.html, February 12, 2002. "The Path of the Women's Rights Movement." (Online). Available http://www.nwhp.org/legacy98/timeline.html, February 19, 2002. "Women's Rights". Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com (12 Feb. 2002) "Woman's Suffrage". Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com (12 Feb. 2002) Women's Rights Versus God's Will Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Women's Rights Versus God's Will It seems these days that everyone is concerned with their rights. People feel that there are certain rights that they should have regardless of their race, religion, sex, and so forth. And rightfully so – everyone is entitled to basic human rights. Many belonging to specific groups – such as women, and homosexuals - feel that these basic rights aren't enough and that they need more. They feel that their group should be granted special "rights," which aren't really rights at all. The early advocates of women's rights started out with good intentions – they were fighting for the abolition of slavery, suffrage for women and equal pay for men and women, among other similar rights. The first major turning point in the advocates' battle was on July 19th and 20th of 1848. On those dates, the Seneca Falls Convention was held in New York. The men and women at the convention created a document called the Declaration of Sentiments, which they based on the Declaration of Independence. This document created a foundation, a source of where to go, how to go about getting the government to recognize the rights to which they were entitled. As time went on, woman suffrage advocates like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed organizations, such as the NWSA (National Woman Suffrage Association) and the AWSA (American Woman Suffrage Association). Eventually, after the formation of other organizations and after lots of support raising within states, women were granted the right to vote on August 26, 1920. Women's groups didn't stop at getting the right to vote. They worked toward receiving equal pay, equal educational opportunities, and equal job opportunities. In 1963, Congress passed a law req... ...ww.family.org/fofmag/sl/a0010612.html, February 13, 2002. "Ms. Herstory." (Online). Available http://64.29.220.68/msherstory.asp, February 12, 2002. "National Organization for Women (NOW)". Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com (12 Feb. 2002) "Roe v. Wade". Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com (12 Feb. 2002) Wheeler, Marjorie Spruill. "The History of the Suffrage Movement." (Online). Available http://www.pbs.org/onewoman/suffrage.html, February 12, 2002. "The Path of the Women's Rights Movement." (Online). Available http://www.nwhp.org/legacy98/timeline.html, February 19, 2002. "Women's Rights". Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com (12 Feb. 2002) "Woman's Suffrage". Microsoft ® Encarta ® Online Encyclopedia 2001 http://encarta.msn.com (12 Feb. 2002)

Leaving Las Vegas

He lost his family and screenwriting job in Hollywood, because of his non-stop consumption of alcohol.   Ben Sanderson became more and more depressed.   He finally decided to just sell off everything he has got; leave Los Angeles and transfer to Las Vegas.   His intention:   to die drinking alcohol.As he was driving drunk into Las Vegas he decided to check into a motel that he thought reads:   â€Å"The Hole You’re In†Ã‚   [which actually says The Whole Year Inn].   Ben think wryly and cynically how apt the situation is.   Then he almost runs over a prostitute:   Sera.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They got to know each other because Ben invited Sera to his motel room in exchange for $500.   But Ben did not make love to Sera.   He just wanted to talk.   They became friendly.   They eventually felt enamoured.   However, they decided to create a compact not to change each other’s way and just live happily day by day with no plan for the future.   They both agree.   Ben continues drinking all day long, Sera keeps on being a prostitute.However, as days go by, Sera starts feeling differently about Ben and becomes really concerned.   So she tries to make him eat.   To which Ben refuses and plays unaffected and just berates Sera to remember their agreement.   To top such frustration of Sera, Ben hires another prostitute and brings her to the house of Sera.   This made Sera more than furious and throws Ben out of her house.Days on, Sera receives a call from Ben already dying.   She visits Ben.   And they made love for the first time.   They fall asleep and for a minute Ben awakens seeing Sera on top of him.   Eventually, he breathes his last with Sera still on top of him.Patient Evaluation:Ben Sanderson is prone to depression because the more he indulged in alcoholism because of his life’s failures.   From the onset of the story, he is already experiencing a meltdown, a bridge of no return.Patients stated reason for problemWhat aggravated his high alcohol consumption was his broken marriage and his family disentanglement and his losing his job.History of IllnessNo previous indication of emotional dilemma prior to the family breakup and loss of job.Past Psychiatric illness, treatment, and outcomesNone as indicated in the story.Medical HistoryNone as indicated in the story.Psychosocial History As a professional in Hollywood, Ben Sanderson is seemingly sociable, well connected and enjoyed a fruitful career at an early stage.Drug and Alcohol history Up and until he could not handle the breakdown of his family, he was already an alcoholic.   The more it got worse after his failures in his married life and career.Behavioral Observation The loneliness that has enveloped Ben Sanderson has been so imminent from the beginning of the story.   He easily just talks up any prostitute to join him somewhere.   It was also depicted that his financial resources are always at the ebb.   He had to borrow money from friends for his drinking spree.   The gratuity payment he received from his lost job was for purposes of drinking and drinking only.In one scene with Sera, Ben Sanderson says:   n one You haven't seen the worst of it. I knock things over†¦ throw up all the time. These past few days I've been very controlled. You're like some sort of antidote that mixes with the liquor and keeps me in balance. But, that won't last forever.†Mental States Observation The mere fact that he openly accepts the termination of his boss from his job, he was even thankful for the gracious severance pay.   This is an illustration of being uncaring for one’s future.   But sine he cannot cope with his failure, so Ben Sanderson openly shows he is suicidal.   His purpose of moving to Las Vegas was to die.Functional Assessment The move/story immediately showed a Ben Sanderson already in pieces.   â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.[he] was imploding, rigi d in his attempt to maintain control, to smile when he does not feel a smile, to make banter when he wants to scream. He needs a drink. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. [he is] into the regions of hell. There will be times when he has the DTs, times when he must pour booze into his throat like an antidote to death, times of nausea, blackouts, cuts and bruises. There is a scene in a bank when his hands shake so badly he cannot sign a check, and we empathize with the way he tries to function, telling the bank teller whatever he can think of (â€Å"I've had brain surgery†). Yes, sometimes, he feels better, and sometimes we can sense the charm he must have had (we sense his boss' affection for him even as he's being fired). But for Ben these moments are not about pleasure but about the temporary release from pain.†Ã‚   (Ebert, 2004) StrengthsBen Sanderson is still cognizant of one simple coherent thing in his life:   he needs someone to care for him.   And he needs someone to care for.à ‚   Considering, Sera is the one and only human being in his life in the course of the story, he focuses on her.   Yes, he feels a pure love that is needing and grateful.   He did not even have sex as premium in his mind.   He just simply wants a feeling of belongingness and togetherness.   It is somehow an act of humility that inspite of the suicidal nature of his life, Ben Sanderson exuded even a weebit of dignity by being a needing and concerned human being.Diagnosis Ben Sanderson is borderline depressed andTreatment Psychotherapy will play a major role.   The mere fact that there is still a tinge of lucidness in wanting and needing, Ben Sanderson could very well respond to psychotherapy.   Aid of pharmacological intervention will likewise augment the psychotherapy treatment.Prognosis Sera indeed recommended that Ben sees a doctor which of course Ben refused.   However, had there been a way for the said action been taken, there is very good hope that Ben could have surpassed even the extreme condition of his alcoholism.   Considering that Sera has eventually developed a deep sense of concern and a better prospect for their relationship, it will be a tool to bridge the hope for Ben Sanderson. The DSM-IV CriteriaBen Sanderson experienced clinical disorder that is substance related.   His anxiety disorder is alcohol induced.   The film illustrated clearly as such and the story simply illustrated the basic paradox in humanness in someone who is terminally hopeless.   No myths about mental illnesses was every portrayed or illustrated.References:â€Å"DSM-IVTM   Multiaxial System (Made Easy)†.   Psyweb.comhttp://www.psyweb.com/Mdisord/DSM_IV/jsp/dsm.iv.jspâ€Å"Leaving Las Vegas:   A Review†.   Roger Ebert.   April 25, 2004http://www.rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040425/REVIEWS08/404250302/1023

Heart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad - 942 Words

When read at face value, Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness, portrays a tale of white, imperial, oppression of the African natives of the Congo. However, when viewed through the lenses of psychoanalysis and feminism, different interpretations emerge. Psychoanalysis provides a glimpse into the mind of Marlow. The story reads as if it takes place within a dream world. Feminist theory examines the perceptible qualities associated with women. Each theory presents a new way of interpreting and understanding the character development and imagery within the story. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, detailed the inner elements of the mind called the id, superego, and ego (Thornton). The id represents the primal, primitive, instincts that strive for satisfaction. The term superego describes the inner voice or conscience of a person. The ego is the conscious self that is created by the opposing forces of the superego and id (Thornton). Freud, also, wrote an essay, The Interpretation of Dreams, which outlined the idea of the mind harboring desires outside of conscious thought. These desires manifest in dreams, thereby creating a puzzle to be read and interpreted (Freud 397). With this in mind, an excerpt from Marlow says: It seems to me I am trying to tell you a dream – making a vain attempt, because no relation of a dream can convey the dream-sensation, that commingling of absurdity, surprise, and bewilderment in a tremor of struggling revolt, that notion ofShow MoreRelatedHeart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad1471 Words   |  6 PagesIn the story Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad a sailor decides to travel to Africa on a whim, using family connections he enlists as the captain of a ship travelling up the Congo River. The novella provides many themes, however is the text in itself racist? One of the main concepts portrayed in Heart of Darkness is the treatment of the natives of Africa and their image. This is most commonly shown through the disparity of the image between what is said in the novel and what can be read throughRead MoreHeart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad Essay1371 Words   |  6 Pagesevery human and everything created by humans has two sides to it: the form and the substance. J oseph Conrad’s novella â€Å"Heart of Darkness† shows precisely how dangerous it is to put our trust in a concept, for example: colonization, without realizing that most of the time one only gets to see the form and not the substance. In this essay, my purpose is to demonstrate that â€Å"Heart of Darkness† by Joseph Conrad is mainly a novella about the discrepancy between substance and form. In order to prove my pointRead MoreHeart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad1378 Words   |  6 PagesWoytassek AP English 12 Heart of Darkness Reading Log Author: Joseph Conrad Title: Heart of Darkness Original Publication Date: 1899 Kind of Writing: Heart of Darkness is a colonial novella of an expository narrative. Writer’s Purpose and Intended Audience Joseph Conrad wrote Heart of Darkness because he wanted to expose human temptation to experiment with darkness when one’s own desires overcome one’s morals. By writing from his own experience of exploring the Congo, Conrad draws conclusions thatRead MoreThe Heart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad983 Words   |  4 PagesThe Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a story that takes place in the early 1890s and presents us with an odyssey of a traveler known as Marlow who confronts the dangers of the Congo jungle while also witnessing the wicked, inhumane treatment of the African natives. In the story, Marlow represents Joseph Conrad who had actually traveled up the Congo in 1890 and witnessed the European exploitation of the African natives firsthand. 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Conrad’s story explores the colonialism period in Africa to demonstrate Marlow’s struggles. Along the way, he faces insanity, death, his fear of failure, and cultural contamination as he makes his was to the inner station. Conrad through theRead MoreThe Heart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad968 Words   |  4 PagesJoseph Conrad’s novella The Heart of Darkness has been under controversy because of racial interpretations. The race factor in this novel has made some scholars and professors question the function the novella has in the classroom. However, Joseph Conrad had another view when writing the novel; to demonstrate how prejudice and dehumanizing the European culture is towards African Americans and their culture during this time period. European’s superior authority over African Americans is portrayedRead MoreHeart Of Darkness, By Joseph Conrad1306 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is the â€Å"horror† in Heart of Darkness, and what particular literary images develop that idea of horror in the novel? In Joseph Conrad’s, Heart of Darkness, there can be many literary images found within that develop the idea of horror. Heart of Darkness is noted for its horror within the Congo between the Africans and the Europeans. The horror in Heart of Darkness is a contribution of many ideas that are formed and contributed from the European colonists. The purpose of this essay aims to argueRead MoreHeart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad1076 Words   |  5 PagesWritten in the late 1800’s, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a novella about one man’s travel into the Congo Free State by way of the Congo River. The title â€Å"Heart of Darkness† actually holds two different meanings. Heart of Darkness is both a metaphor for a psychological â€Å"dark side† of man, and an allusion to Africa. The title suggests both a physical and mental reference. During the time the novel takes place, Africa was nick-named the dark continent because of how little the Europeans knewRead MoreHeart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad Essay1483 Words   |  6 PagesJoseph Conrad, author of Heart of Darkness, intriguingly uses an unnamed narrator in his novel that clearly becomes of importance right away in the introduction. Conrad’s narrator chooses to speak of the historical period in which Roman colonization took over what we now know as Great Britain. By connecting a Roman colonization story to one almost 2000 years later talking about the Belgians in Africa, Conrad reveals one of his own themes in the novel. He proposes that the Romans and Belgians