Freedom and Determinism

Paper Summary:

This paper examines determinism as a philosophical concept that states that all events are determined by prior causes, including human behavior. The paper discusses the differences between hard determinism and soft determinism, including their goals and philosophies. The paper then attempts to prove that "soft determinism" is the more plausible theory.

From the Paper:

"A universe with no randomness is essentially a predictable universe. Laplace's demon can then predict everything as it's supposed to do. However, a predictable universe is also an assumption. This is the main goal of science - to predict everything in the universe. It is also part of human nature to find patterns, since it's essential for his survival. It's possible that the universe is not random. However, it's also possible that it is. Recent developments in quantum physics suggest that there are tiny random stuff happening inside atoms that make the universe essentially unpredictable. When we add up these tiny random stuff, it cascades up to the cosmic level and some things now become unpredictable."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Wikipedia Contributors (2008). "Determinism". Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 14, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Determinism
• Wikipedia Contributors (2008). "Free Will: Moral Responsibility". Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 14, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_will#Moral_responsibility

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