VCE Philosophy (Year 11) · Unit 1 — Existence and Knowledge · 12m read

Free Will and Determinism

If every event is caused by previous events, are our choices really free? And if not, can anyone be blamed or praised?

Learning objective: Explain and evaluate hard determinism, libertarianism and compatibilism, and their implications for moral responsibility.

By the end of this lesson you can:

• I can define determinism.
• I can explain the three main positions.
• I can link free will to moral responsibility.

Billiard balls. If you knew every ball’s position and force, you could predict every collision. Determinists say human choices are like that too — just far more complicated.

Positions

DETERMINISM — every event, including every human decision, is caused by prior events and the laws of nature.

HARD DETERMINISM — determinism is true, so free will is an illusion; strict moral responsibility does not exist.

LIBERTARIANISM (about free will, not the political view) — we have genuine free will, so determinism must be false for at least some human choices.

COMPATIBILISM — free will and determinism are compatible: an action is free if it comes from your own desires and reasoning without external force or coercion (e.g. David Hume).

MORAL RESPONSIBILITY — if we could not have done otherwise, is blame fair? Compatibilists argue blame still makes sense because it responds to a person’s character and reasons.

Worked example (Medium)

Alex donates to charity because they care about others. Their caring was shaped by upbringing. Is the donation free?

1. Hard determinist. No — upbringing and genes caused the desire and the act.
2. Compatibilist. Yes — Alex acted on their own desires without coercion.
3. Libertarian. Yes — Alex could genuinely have chosen otherwise.

Answer: It depends on the definition of freedom: hard determinists say no; compatibilists and libertarians say yes, for different reasons.

Common mistakes

• Confusing determinism with fatalism Fatalism says outcomes happen whatever we do; determinism says our choices are part of the causal chain. Fix: Choices still matter in determinism — they are causes.
• Confusing philosophical and political libertarianism They are different concepts. Fix: Specify "libertarian free will".

Practice questions

1. The view that free will and determinism can both be true is:

   1. Hard determinism
   2. Libertarianism
   3. Compatibilism
   4. Fatalism

   (1 marks)

2. Evaluate compatibilism.

   (4 marks)

Summary

• Determinism: every event is caused.
• Hard determinism, libertarianism, compatibilism.
• Free will links to moral responsibility.
• Define "free" carefully.