Todays topic is Free will. Do we have it, is it achievable and what is it.

Free will: the power to have done otherwise in an identable situation.

The two different types:Libertarianism, and Determinism or (hard) determinism.
Libertarianists are people who believe you that some things are impossible e.g. jump to the moon, jump off 200 ft. cliff..., but there are some free act e.g. going to class or not going to class, move out or stay home.
You can't do things that are not logical: like Making a round square, or a car blue and red at the same time.
(Hard) Determinists are people who suggest that every action we take is due to past-conditioning, hereditary, environment, culture. Things could have only turned out the way they did because everything led up to that point. People are the way they are due to every circumstance they've ever experienced. Example:
A lit match put to gun powder will explode.
A lit match put to wet gun powder won't.
Because everything the gun powder has experienced has cause it to be flamable. If water were doused on it, everything that led up to it would be unflamable.

(Soft) Determinist will say free will is 'doing what you want' and says you have free will in some cases. (more on that next class)
Libertarianists say faith is a cop-out for taking responsibility. Or could a libertarianist like it simple so they dont have have to try and find out why we do the things we do. They think if you throw out 'free will', morality goes with it.
If what you do isnt your fault than people will stop doing the right thing and claim they were 'conditioned' to do what they did.

A determinist says that if Jonny mom is a crack whore and Jonnys dad is a repeat felon and drug addict that Jonny will probably end up in the system due to the fact that that's what he knows. A libertarinist would say he chose that route.
Yes, some people in that situation decide that they dont want to be like their parents and decide to go against the odds and turn to be respectable and successful but thats not free will, thats just rebelling against you know instead and walking the same path(says determinists).

Another example: Would you chose a country CD or a rap CD? and why? Why? Probably just because you like one more than the other. But what makes you like one more? Free will? Maybe, but past conditioning, genetics, desired image that come from your environment, all those things come into play. Maybe your mean grandpa like country so you swore you never would. Or maybe instead he would put you on his knee and play old western songs so you associate it with good times. Maybe the deep bass in rap somehow mellows you out without a conscious realization of that (genetics).

What about small choices that have seemingly no effect on the rest of life like where to sit in class, what to eat for your next meal?What else could determine those things besides free will?

Arguments for Determinism:
1.Fate
a)Religiousness, God determines what we do
b)Unrelativity of time
2.Foreign Knowledge- If God knows what you are going to do, than your going to do what God knew what you would do. Even if he doesnt cause it, but he knows, than you have to do it because otherwise God would be wrong. And assuming he is the almighty, all-knowing than he cant be wrong, so you couldnt have done anything else.