Free Will, Determinism, and Responsibility There are many events in a persons life that have an impact so large, that the person life is forever changed. Hopefully most such events are positive, and help him in his life. However, there is also the undeniable fact that bad things happen. It is not uncommon to hear someone wondering aloud why an event took place. A persons actions come into question, and it is wondered what the persons motivation was. Once we start questioning the events of our lives, we begin to test out different theories that we have heard over time. It was fate, or It is part of Gods plan, or other theories which attempt to put some meaning and reasoning behind events in our lives. Humans also begin to wonder how it is that their actions are determined. Aside from these various explanations, philosophers have created explanations which can tell the story of human action. There are four main positions that one can maintain. Hard determinism, compatibilism, indeterminism, and scepticism. Each of the stances holds a different explanation for human action which can be argued and debated. I believe that the idea of compatibilism is the best answer to this problem. Combining determinism with responsibility makes for the best argument and explanation for human action.Compatibilism is the reconciliation of responsibility and determinism. It is the attempt to allow a persons actions to be causally determined, yet the person still be responsible. On the surface, this does not sound like it is possible. If a persons actions are causally determined, that means that they have no control over them; the action was determined without their knowledge or consent. If this is the case, then how can ones actions be determined without their control, while the person is held morally responsible? On the surface the two do not seem to fit together. However in Freedom and Necessity, Ayer finds situation where one can be re...
