Discuss the free will and determinism debate in psychology (16 marks)
The free will-determinism debate asks whether our behaviour is a matter of free will or are we are
product of set internal or external influences that determine who we are and what we do.
Free will is the idea that humans can make free choices and their behaviour and thoughts are not
determined by biological and external force. In other words, the notion of free will says that we are
self determined. According to free will, a person is responsible for their own actions and free from
the causal influences of past events. A belief in free will does not however deny that there may be
biological and environmental forces that exert some influence on behaviour, but nevertheless
implies that we are able to reject these forces if we wish because we are in control of our
thoughts/behaviour. The humanistic approach embraces the concept of free will.
In contrast, determinism is the idea that our behaviour is shaped or controlled by internal or
external forces. There are various types of determinism: hard and soft determinism. There are 3
types of hard determinism: Biological Determinism, Environmental Determinism and Psychic
Determinism. Hard determinism, also known as fatalism, is the idea that all human behaviour has a
root cause. In principle, we should be able to identify and describe these causes. Hard determinism
is compatible with the aims of science as it establishes causality and science also says that every
event in the universe has a cause and that causes are subject to natural laws. This principle of
causation and laws allows us to predict and control events including behaviour. In its efforts to be a
science, psychology often adopts a hard deterministic stance, however for some this is too extreme
a position. Hard determinism assumes there is no free will and everything we do is dictated by
internal and external forces. Biological determinism is a type of hard determinism which suggests
that our behaviour is caused by genetic, hormonal, neurotransmitters, brain structures and
evolutionary influences that are outside of our control. Many mental disorders such as OCD are
believed to have a largely genetic basis. Environmental determinism is another type of hard
determinism which was proposed by the behaviourists. Skinner said that free will is an illusion; all
behaviour is shaped by conditioning, reinforcement and punishment. Environmental determinism
suggests that we may feel as if we are acting through our free will, but in fact all our behaviour has
been shaped through environmental events and agents of socialisation. The last type of hard
determinism is Psychic Determinism. Freud argued that free was also an illusion. He felt that all
behaviour was caused by unconscious conflicts, which had been repressed in childhood. He did not
agree with “slips of the tongue” being an accident, but rather these were the unconscious
controlling our behaviour.
Soft determinism, suggested by James (1890) suggested that although our behaviour does have root
causes, we can also make some free choices. The cognitive approach adopts a soft deterministic
stance as it allows some “wiggle room” in terms of explaining behaviour.
One limitation of determinism is that it stands in conflict with our legal system. Our legal system
views us as having responsibility for our actions and free will. The hard deterministic stance is that
individual choice is not the cause of behaviour. This is not consistent with the way in which are legal
system operates. In court of law offenders are held responsible for their actions. Indeed, the main
principle of our legal system is that a defendant exercises their free will in committing a crime. This is
only challenged when the Law of Diminished Responsibilty is applied meaning the person is thought
to have lost their free will. This is a limitation of determinism as it suggests that in the real-world
determinist arguments do not work.
One strength of free will is its practical value. The view is that we exercise free choice in our every
day lives on a daily basis. However, even if this is not the case, thinking we do exercise free will can
The free will-determinism debate asks whether our behaviour is a matter of free will or are we are
product of set internal or external influences that determine who we are and what we do.
Free will is the idea that humans can make free choices and their behaviour and thoughts are not
determined by biological and external force. In other words, the notion of free will says that we are
self determined. According to free will, a person is responsible for their own actions and free from
the causal influences of past events. A belief in free will does not however deny that there may be
biological and environmental forces that exert some influence on behaviour, but nevertheless
implies that we are able to reject these forces if we wish because we are in control of our
thoughts/behaviour. The humanistic approach embraces the concept of free will.
In contrast, determinism is the idea that our behaviour is shaped or controlled by internal or
external forces. There are various types of determinism: hard and soft determinism. There are 3
types of hard determinism: Biological Determinism, Environmental Determinism and Psychic
Determinism. Hard determinism, also known as fatalism, is the idea that all human behaviour has a
root cause. In principle, we should be able to identify and describe these causes. Hard determinism
is compatible with the aims of science as it establishes causality and science also says that every
event in the universe has a cause and that causes are subject to natural laws. This principle of
causation and laws allows us to predict and control events including behaviour. In its efforts to be a
science, psychology often adopts a hard deterministic stance, however for some this is too extreme
a position. Hard determinism assumes there is no free will and everything we do is dictated by
internal and external forces. Biological determinism is a type of hard determinism which suggests
that our behaviour is caused by genetic, hormonal, neurotransmitters, brain structures and
evolutionary influences that are outside of our control. Many mental disorders such as OCD are
believed to have a largely genetic basis. Environmental determinism is another type of hard
determinism which was proposed by the behaviourists. Skinner said that free will is an illusion; all
behaviour is shaped by conditioning, reinforcement and punishment. Environmental determinism
suggests that we may feel as if we are acting through our free will, but in fact all our behaviour has
been shaped through environmental events and agents of socialisation. The last type of hard
determinism is Psychic Determinism. Freud argued that free was also an illusion. He felt that all
behaviour was caused by unconscious conflicts, which had been repressed in childhood. He did not
agree with “slips of the tongue” being an accident, but rather these were the unconscious
controlling our behaviour.
Soft determinism, suggested by James (1890) suggested that although our behaviour does have root
causes, we can also make some free choices. The cognitive approach adopts a soft deterministic
stance as it allows some “wiggle room” in terms of explaining behaviour.
One limitation of determinism is that it stands in conflict with our legal system. Our legal system
views us as having responsibility for our actions and free will. The hard deterministic stance is that
individual choice is not the cause of behaviour. This is not consistent with the way in which are legal
system operates. In court of law offenders are held responsible for their actions. Indeed, the main
principle of our legal system is that a defendant exercises their free will in committing a crime. This is
only challenged when the Law of Diminished Responsibilty is applied meaning the person is thought
to have lost their free will. This is a limitation of determinism as it suggests that in the real-world
determinist arguments do not work.
One strength of free will is its practical value. The view is that we exercise free choice in our every
day lives on a daily basis. However, even if this is not the case, thinking we do exercise free will can
