Abstract
An analysis of this claim with support for the argument that gender is socially determined. It shows how people create own destiny and that people's free choices cause them to be stuck in certain social positions. It examines the "essentialist" argument that believes that significant differences exist between different groups.

From the Paper
"One of the most important points that the authors make in this chapter is the fact that the choices that people make throughout their lives contribute to their own imprisonment in conventional gender roles (and thus to the lower status of women, for the gender roles of men and women are not simply complementary but are in fact arranged hierarchically). This is turn makes it easy to blame women for their own lowered status: Well no one made her have children, one can say, or no one made her get a degree in English rather than in engineering. But, as the authors argue, in fact the choices that people make (especially vis--vis the biology of childbearing, obviously) are so constrained by both society and socialization that to call them choices at all is deceptive."

Tags:gender, social, essentialist, society, sexual

Abstract
This paper discusses the statement that there is no room for free will in our scientific picture of a causally determined world. The paper explores whether free will exists or whether everything is caused by actions that relate to the term of determinism.

From the Paper
"John Sanfey (2003) states, "Absolute certainty only applies to knowing that something is happening, and that it is changing. Everything else is hypothetical, including mind-matter duality." Does this mean that people use their free will to make something happen? Does this mean that one action causes another action that forces people to act in a way caused by what has happened in their present or past? Does the concept that something is happening, and thus brings about changes related to the term determinism? These questions are important in deciding whether free will exists or that everything is caused by actions that relate to the term of..."

Tags:determinism, choice, science

Abstract
The controversy between Free Will and Determinism has been debated throughout the history of philosophy, with great emphasis on human personality and choices, meaning that either all actions are freely chosen by this thing called Self, or it always has a prior cause that is beyond the control of the individual. The paper deals with concepts such as "Free Will", "Determinism", "Fatalism", "Compatibilism," and "Indeterminism". The paper clarifies what all these concepts stand for and illustrates how they influenced many diverse schools of thought throughout history by analyzing human behavior in light of these understandings. The paper proposes a compatibilist approach to human behavior, starting with free will, proceeding later with determinism, and finally concluding with compatibilism.

From the Paper
"Determinism is a philosophical "doctrine which holds that every event, mental as well as physical, has a cause, and that, the cause being given, the event invariably follows". Therefore, any action, any choice, any decision made by the individual is bound up to prior causes that make him act in a certain way-hence there were no other possible alternative choices that the Self could have chosen, since it was determined beforehand by causes, either visible or concealed. Determinism therefore raises the problem of "moral responsibility" and eventual feelings of "remorse" and "regret" one may feel after a certain action, if they truly believed that they could have done otherwise."

Tags:aristotle, einstein, existentialism, fatalism, quantum, sarte

Abstract
Determinism says that the environment, heredity, defense mechanisms, and other influences direct the way people act. Soft determinism states that people are determined, but they also are free. The paper shows that human behavior is the result of different deterministic forces that directs them in making different choices with people not being forced to act in certain ways, because they have the freedom to make choices as shown and stated in the philosophy of soft determinism.

Tags:determinism, hobbes, philosophy

Abstract
The author discusses the death of Edna, the protagonist in the novel "The Awakening." It is suggested that, while one may initially believe that her death was empty and pointless, with greater analysis, her suicide was a victory because she had finally discovered who she was as a woman, an artist, and a person in the nineteenth century.

From the Paper
"In Kate Chopin's novel, The Awakening, Edna Pontellier begins a journey of self-discovery while staying at Grand Isle. Her life begins to seem unsatisfactory to her likings, although to others, she leads a highly respectable life, being married to a Creole businessman, living in an elegant home in New Orleans, having two lovely children, and having many friends who are welcomed at her Tuesday afternoon receptions. To Edna, however, her life was a struggle, a result of the self-realization of her respectable lifestyle and all the short-comings it brought to her. Her death could have seemed a sudden, unfortunate ending to her charming life, if only looked at from an outward appearance

Tags:awakening, determination, self-destruction, emancipation, self-discovery

Abstract
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."

Tags:random, assumption, causes, behavior

Abstract
This paper discusses how Jack London's "To Build a Fire" is an almost perfect example of naturalistic fiction and how the philosophy that drives such fiction is determinism, which says that nature is determined by the physical laws that describe it. The paper looks at how the protagonist is depicted as being at one with nature and how he is moved by instinct to prospect for gold in inhospitable conditions, and relies almost entirely on instinct to survive. The paper also discusses how we are made to compare the survival tactics of the man with that of his dog and how we are made to see that the man's capacity to think is his disadvantage, and is ultimately the cause of his downfall. London presents determinism as the law of nature, and where man's capacity to think becomes an aberration.

From the Paper
"London hardly enters into the character of the man throughout the story, and all we are left with in the end are characteristics. In this sense there is very little to distinguish between the portrayal of the man and his companion the dog. It is as if the author is giving us a description of a process, and that free will has no place in the scheme of things. In the very beginning we are told that the circumstances in which the man found himself would normally have induced philosophical or spiritual ponderings on mortality and "man's frailty in general" (Baym 977). But the man is totally lacking in such tendencies, and we are meant to see this as his strength. If the man had succumbed to such tendencies the drama of 'nature pitted against man' would never have taken place."

Tags:surviva, instinct, naturalism

Abstract
This paper explores the philosophies of free will and determinism and their implications for humans. The paper considers the issues of the natural sciences, God or a higher power, and morality, and then reaches a conclusion on the side of liberalism or free will. The paper points out that if humans were determined in all of their actions, the entire systems on which humans have built their societies would be null, as the corrections and reward systems would be meaningless.

From the Paper
"O'Connor defines free will, or libertarianism, as a "particular sort of capacity of rational agents to choose a course of action from among various alternatives" (para. 1). According to O'Connor, philosophers debate the different kinds of free will that humans may have. Some philosophers believe that there is a difference between free will and the freedom to act "because our success in carrying out our ends depends in part on factors wholly beyond our control" (O'Connor para. 2). Further, extremists suggest that free will either does not exist or exists infallibly, but "majority view, however, is that we can readily conceive willings that are not free" (O'Connor para. 3). Thus, the question is to what extent one has free will. Because there are many incidents in which one's desires cannot be fulfilled because of a lack of funds, physical limitations, and other reasons, philosophers like O'Connor state that, "If there is such a thing as free will, it has many dimensions" (para. 5). In addition, if there is such a thing as free will, it carries with it many implications. The first among them is the question of morality. If a person has free will, there is such a thing as moral or immoral. "

Tags:natural, sciences, God, morality, liberalism

Abstract
This paper analyzes the novel "Madame Bovary" by Gustave Flaubert, discussing the theme of determinism and fate through the characters, Charles and Emma, and the relationship between them. The paper argues, citing evidence from the novel, that Charles Bovary accepts his fate submissively while Emma Bovary struggles passionately against it. Because Flaubert joined these two characters in marriage, his novel becomes absurd. The paper describes how Emma's adultery is her one and only fate, determined by her impossible marriage itself.

From the Paper
""Fate" and "destiny" are words a person uses when they believe that what has occurred was set in the stars. Whatever "fate" they come to is unavoidable; nature and station predetermine a person's actions and the circumstances surrounding their situation determine the eventual outcome of that situation. There is an inciting event, people react, challenges follow, all proceeding to a succession of events that point to only one possible conclusion. Their "destiny" or "fate" is the natural solution. This idea expressed in literature is called determinism. Determinism is the inexorable "why" of the character's success or demise; and characteristics inherent in their personality and their societal position are what cause their eventual end. In his novel, Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert reveals his remarkable ability to express this idea through the trials and tribulations of his characters, forever enchanting us with captivating imagery and his unique use of metaphors. His determinism is one sprinkled with pessimism; no matter how fervently a character struggles to avoid their ultimate fate, fighting reality proves a fruitless battle their situation is hopeless."

Tags:charles, emma, destiny, relationships, marriage, leon, rodolphe, blanche, dubois

Abstract
In this brief report the writer debunks the notion that the function of a piece of music is determined by its sound and structure. The writer argues that other elements may be instrumental in determining or identifying function in music and that culture plays a role in this process.

From the Paper
"The idea that the function of a piece of music is determined by its sound and structure has been advanced by any number of commentators. In most cases as noted by Alan Merriam the concept of function can refer to operating or playing a part representing non-randomness reflecting an interdependence of elements that can be complex and fulfilling the requirements of a situation or answering an objectively defined purpose. It is Merriam's contention that these particular approaches to understanding the ..."

Tags:music, function, sound and structure