Practice Flashcards
Flip to reveal answersWhat is determinism?
Track your progress — Sign up free to save your progress and get smart review reminders based on spaced repetition.
All 8 Flashcards — Determinism
Sign up free to track progress and get spaced-repetition review schedules.
Question
What is determinism?
Answer
The view that every event, including every choice, is fully caused by earlier events.
Question
The domino argument for determinism?
Answer
Choices are caused events; caused events are fixed by the past; so only one choice was ever possible.
Question
What is hard determinism?
Answer
Determinism is true AND therefore free will is an illusion and no one is truly responsible.
Question
How does hard determinism explain 'I could have chosen differently'?
Answer
As a gap in your knowledge — you don't see the hidden causes making the choice inevitable.
Question
Does determinism deny that choices happen?
Answer
No — choices happen, but each is fully caused, so given the past only one was ever possible.
Question
The 'medical model' of justice (Go further)?
Answer
If wrongdoers couldn't ultimately do otherwise, treat wrongdoing like a problem to fix, not a sin to punish.
Question
Determinism vs free will — the clash?
Answer
Free will needs the power to have done otherwise; determinism says only one outcome was ever possible.
Question
The leaf analogy?
Answer
Like a leaf sure it chose to fall while blind to the wind, we feel free while missing our causes.
Read the notes
Full study notes for Determinism
Topic 1.6 hub
Freedom
More from Topic 1.6
All flashcards in this topic
Philosophy exam skills
Paper structures & tips
Track your progress with spaced repetition
Sign up free — Aimnova tells you exactly which cards to review and when, so you remember everything before your IB exam.
Start Free