Embracing determinism : the benefits of rejecting free will belief

Abstract

Affirmation is the positive response to determinism; the belief that determinism is a boon, and an improvement over having free will. In this thesis, I will argue that the loss of free will, and the rejection of its illusion, can provide us with myriad benefits. Typically, one hears that internalizing the truth of determinism would make us lethargic and immoral, as society breaks down around us. Those threats are greatly overstated, whilst the positive aspects of belief in determinism are often ignored. These benefits include being more accepting, less judgemental, leading a better emotional life, expecting less, and understanding oneself. My thesis makes some baseline assumptions. The first of these is that determinism is true. I'm not concerned with providing a defence of this assumption, as this has been done admirably elsewhere. It may well be the case the determinism is not strictly true, in the case of quantum randomness. To that, I would say that we are sufficiently determined that any minute level of randomness appears inconsequential, and certainly does not provide us a backdoor to free will. Second, I assume that we lack free will as it is typically understood. That is, the incompatibilist is correct and the libertarian is incorrect. I borrow from Honderich in arguing that the free will of the libertarian and the free will of the compatibilist are both separate and important. The positive aspects of determinism require the loss of libertarian free will, however, which is what determines denies us.

Date of Award	2017
Original language	English