A1 Question #3
We just had a good discussion on the topic of free-will vs. determinism. Are we always FULLY accountable for ALL of our decisions? Or are their circumstances or instances where there are factors beyond our control that lessen our accountability? Please explain
posted by Mr. Fong | 10:34 AM
24 Comments:
This one is kind of a tough one, i would mostly always say that we are fully accountable for our actions. Regardless wether it was in self defense or out of murder. We are held accountable for the action only. But on the other hand you still feel bad wether it was a lady acting out in self defense or if you had a tumor on your head. But we always have a choice I think wether its going to the doctors or getting some type of help, we are always accountable for the actual action that we commit.
This is such a difficult topic. I am one who believes that everyone is accountable for their actions and that when a person does something then they should receive the consequences. I could see from our discussion in class, however, that sometimes there needs to be some leniency. In class, Jenna 'capped' her husband because she was afraid of him because he was so abusive and Amanda had someone 'cap' her husband because she wanted his money. Both killed their husbands but they should get different consequences. From this debate I have concluded two things: 1. There will not be a decision reached for years and years on this subject.
2. I should never be a judge because I would get cases like this.
I think that we are always accountable for OUR actions. Sometimes we can't help our circumstances like for instance, the families we were born into, but we can always decide what our choices are going to be. Now, that being said, everybody is going to think differently and make different decisions depending on the type of person they are and the situation they were raised in. So to them, the choices they make may seem right, when to us it could seem like the wrong choice. So i think yes, we are always accountable for our decisions but who is to say what is wrong and what is right?
Who the freak knows right? It seems so simple at first. We all know from our immediate experience that we make choices everyday. Sometimes they are easy and sometimes they aren't so easy, like Jenna's decision to blow away her abusive significant other, but we make them and it seems like they are spontaneous, like we could have chosen differently if we wanted to. But then the pretty little picture starts to fade when choices start to really be examined. Choices aren't made willy nilly, they are made based off of every other choice you've ever made in your life. Each choice we make, whether it be to buy 2% or skim or to get up for school or succumb to the sweet enticings of sleep, is a result of a thousand choices made before it, a result of a lifetime of decisions made. So then, are the decisions we make just small dominoes in the rube goldberg machine of life? Can we ever fight against the inevitable falling domino and push it back in some other direction? I don't think I'd really want to live in a universe where we couldn't, where we couldn't ever surprise the fates and become great in our triumph. The idealist in me screams that Free Will prevails in humankind, but the realist says that more often than not, people go in the direction that they have been going from the start, that they let the domino fall, because it is almost impossible not to. And I think that it's ok. I think that people with especially big dominoes should receive some support and help, even if they have to receive it from behind bars or in a strait jacket.
I think that in most cases you are fully responsible for your actions. There are some cases in which I think there could have been an outside force (family, friends, faith etc.) that leads you to do something. Those forces just plant the idea in your head; but it’s you that makes the initial decision whether or not to follow through with the idea. This force (whatever it may be) can not physically make you do things. That's taking away your free will, and everybody, no matter who you are, has free will.
I really believe that we are all accountable for our actions, regardless of the situation you are in. A person may have circumstances that affect the decision they make, but I believe you always have your free will, and that we are all accountable for our actions. I do feel bad for a person who has to make a difficult decision, or has a tumor or something that greatly affects the decision they make, but in the end we all have agency, and you are accountable for your actions.
This is a very very hard topic. It is very true that we are all completely accountable for our decisions, but there are exceptions I believe. For instance, if someone is being abused and then they kill that person, they should have a little more lenience than someone who just kills someone out of vengeance or other reasons. I'm not justifying either person's actions; I'm just saying that there should be a little mercy.
On this topic i think you have to pick one or another. In my opinion i think everybody is accountable for there actions no matter the cause, you did something you have to pay for it and well this leans me more towards the concept of free will. Lets put an example at hand a crazy person commits a crime and is sentenced to the worst penalty but a tumor was affecting a part of his brain that made him cause this action, in my opinion i think he should still pay there's still justification in place but if you did it you pay it. That also goes for me because Mr. Fong explained be ready to judge but also to apply it on yourself!
Our actions are always our responsibility, BUT these actions can be influenced by our environment and things that are out of our control. so i think that we are responsible for our actions to a degree, but our punishments should be adjusted in some cases. i do think that we are able to, and should overcome circumstances that are extreme. i think that anyone no matter their circumstances can decide on a better path than murder. they may have a tumor, medication or have had a terrible life, but all of these can be overcome. People are allowing themselves to be overcome by circumstances that are "out of their control" but are they really? So, smaller things, that are not pre-contemplated such as overreacting, compulsive behavior, etc.. can be excused but when you go into higher crimes, or worse behavior, like murder, torture, abuse or other such crimes (especially premeditated) i think people can overcome past circumstances and current conditions to avoid such things.
Ana Yeli
I believe that we are all accountable for our actions weather it was in illness, out of fear or a reaction to any situation. When a person does something then they should receive their consequences. For instance if a wife kills her husband because of beathing her i believe that some mercey can be given. Where as if a wife kills her husband so that she can be with a different man i don't think she should deserve any mercy. But at the end we all have agency, and you are accountable for your actions.
I think that we are all accountable for ALL of our actions. There are some situations where people may have clinical excuses to not be 100% accountable, but the fact is everyone KNOWS what they are doing. If they are taking drugs, or drinking, or on medication that makes them behave in a way that they normally wouldn't, the truth is they are CHOOSING to do these things.
I think that we are always accountable for our actions. I however believe that some degree of mercy must be given. I don't think that a full "Pardon" should ever be given, but that we are responsible for our choices. How many times have we heard, that we can choose our actions but we can't choose the consequences. I think that a small amount of mercy should be extended to those who act on self defense or to those who are acting with some factor influencing them that is beyond their control. For example someone who had a tumor pressing on their brain may become more angry, but he is still in control whether or not he let's this anger push him into doing acts of extreme violence.
This one seems obvious to me. We're never fully accountable for our actions. Everyone acts differently to the exact same situation, and so, it seems logical to assume that some of those actions may not be the best ones. If you learned, growing up in gang infested areas, that when you see a car driving slowly by you, could be the last thing you see, it might be reasonable for that person to panic, run or even fight a threat that may not really be there, but is very real to the person. Sometimes people should be let off the hook because of extenuating circumstances.
For sure you're accountable for your decisions why would you not be? Yeah everything around you affects you, but you still have the power to decide and act; most of the time you probably are aware of the consequences too. Determinism is just an excuse people use, like that dumb "following the mob disease" or whatever it was. Just an excuse to get out of trouble because they know they've done something wrong.
And they were dumb enough to get caught.
Sure we all have free will. I won't argue about that but there are times when there should be mercy. Sometimes we just don't know things, we can't see the future and we don't know every little single detail of our bodies right down to each individual cell. For the tumor for example how would the man have known that he even had one? Someone would say that he would have noticed he was acting differently and would have seen a doctor. Would he? The process would have been very gradual so he wouldn't realize that he was acting out rashly. As for Jenna and "capping" her husband I find this could fall under the cognitive school. If her husband had said it enough times that she was useless and no one liked her, it would be like brainwashing. Because eventually she will start believing it at thinking it and she would eventually come to the conclusion that now one would ever help her. Even if she did go to someone she believes that she would probably end up dieing because her husband burned it into her mind that he would find her. As for the other wife she dissevers full sentence because she it only for the money and self gain where as Jenna did it out of self defense.
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I think that we are mostly accountable for what we do. But it seems that our external reality can have a great impact on the way we act. Sometimes its great and sometimes its very small. Nevertheless I believe that it all comes down to a choice regardless of the external influence.
-FRYER TUCK
Definately a hard topic.
I think it really depends on what you believe in spiritually. I believe that everything happens for a reason. But there are definately different forces that influence the decisions you make.
No matter what happens under any circumstances YOU are fully responsible (or accountable) for YOUR action. Now this could seem a little harsh to some but there is always a choice involved. Depending on whether you choose the right vs. the wrong choice now that depends entirely but still if you are going to choose to do something then you must fess up to it. There also can be those factors that play a role in how we make our decisions and result in the outcomes of our choices but still theses should not slight our accountability. They can help us see the reasoning but don't change anything.
I believe it all depends on the situation. There are times where we don't consciously think about what we do or do before we do it. I think in some situations it's just instinct and we just do it or say it. I also think we should be accountable for our actions whether we have control over it or not.
I believe it all depends on the situation. There are times where we don't consciously think about what we do or do before we do it. I think in some situations it's just instinct and we just do it or say it. I also think we should be accountable for our actions whether we have control over it or not.
I believe that yes, we are always accountable for our actions and decisions. No one is going to force you to do something, you always have a choice in the matter. However, I do believe that there are times when something you do is justifiable and may "lessen" our accountability. It completely depends on the situation and the people involved in the situation.
I am of the opinion that a healthy dose of each is required in order to see the whole picture. Relying upon full accountability alone negates the fact that how we grow up changes a lot of how we think and act. The child of a farmer, for instance, learns to have a very strong work ethic in order to survive while a businessman’s child generally don’t have to work as hard to get what they want. These factors affect their reactions in situations but ultimately it is you choice to accept the result of your actions.
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