Is Man Free?

One basic characteristic that separates man from all other animals is his ability to choose. Man is able to make decisions. Mans freedom, his capacity to choose and to determine his life, is not completely obvious. Many human actions do not seem to be the result of any choice breathing, digesting food, sleeping. There are many other factors which have a great influence on mans activities.

Physical Limitations There are many physical limitations that are present in every human life cannot choose to be born in a different age, to have different parents, to have a different sex, or to have a different race. What we are given in our lives limits us, and our choices have to be made within those basic limitations.

Man is confronted with physical limitations in many areas of his life a short person cannot choose to be a star basketball playera person with a 65IQ cannot choose to be a doctor. Such limitations are real and they take away ones power to determine ones life, they take away freedom.

Psychological Limitations My freedom can also be limited and taken away by various subjective factors that at times control my mind such as fear, desire, anger and resentment. The enemies of freedom are not all outside of me; they are often within. All of these need to be overcome and controlled if I am to be truly free.

Limitations of the Situation As a human being I always live and act in a particular, concrete situation. Such a situation necessarily plays an important role in my life, guiding the choice that I make. It offers certain possibilities for my freedom, and if I am to choose something, it must be from those possibilities. Thus my freedom is very limited by my situation.

I cannot choose a career that is not present in my situation. I cannot choose relationships except those that are offered in my situation. In many ways, the situation that I live in guides and limits my free choices.

Habits My human freedom is also limited in a basic way by the many habits that are a part of my life eating, certain habits of dressing. I experience the control of these habits on those occasions when circumstances force me to act in a different way. The difficulty that I experience in changing

the way that I eat and dress shows me that I am controlled by patterns of behavior that have become habitual. The control of habits shows itself even more vividly in those situations where a person finds it difficult to change his life by moving away from a habit and doing things differently. Habits take away freedom from people who are trying to control their lives.

The Motivations of Ones Actions In my actions I am always influenced by the motives that are there guiding me in my choices. When I choose to act in a certain way I always have reasons for such a choice. We call such reasons the motives of our actions.

Do these motives for human actions take away mans freedom? Many modern psychologists, particularly those of the behaviorist school, would say YES. BF Skinner, a noted American behaviorist, would affirm that freedom is an illusion, that man is not really free. Skinner would affirm that the rewards and punishments that are present in any situation as motives are the controlling causes of what man does. They determine what action he will perform.

The basis of this behaviorist position is seen in practical human life. Society tries to control human lives by the rewards and punishments that it weaves into the fabric of social existence. We return to our question. Do these influences found in social rewards and punishments take away human freedom? Such a question is hard to answer. It seems to depend on two factors: the strength of the individuals will power and the power of the rewards and punishment present in the situation.

Any sensible person tries to avoid such a situation where he finds himself forced to do something which he really does not want to do. This consideration shows us that there is a difference between being influenced and being determined. An influence is a factor that guides our choices while generally leaving us free. A determination is an influence that puts so much pressure on us that we are no longer free. It is only an extremely strong influence which is capable of determining our lives and eliminating our freedom.

Fate Predestination Am I free to determine my own life? One reason that might lead me to say NO to that question is the presence of the mysterious factor called fate. Many people sense that human history is somehow guided by forces outside of it. Others will affirm that this control over human history lies in the power of a supernatural being which they call fate or god.

Is this position true? Are our lives controlled by fate? Is that which ultimately happens to us predestined by a divine power outside of us? We may, in the context of Christianity, have the belief that God has chosen each individual, calling him to a particular path in life and giving him special graces so that he might fulfill this particular task. We

may affirm that this influence of God does not take away human freedom and that the individual is free to accept or reject Gods call. But, at the same time, our faith in Gods call suggests that God, with His wise providence and almighty power, is guiding human history. He had predestined His people to move forward a heavenly kingdom.

Such a reflection on fate and Gods providence suggests that our human lives are guided by other sources beside our own freedom. We are not totally the masters of our fates.

The Question Is man free? Does he determine his life? We have suggested six reasons for affirming that man is not free. We presented other factors, besides mans freedom, which determine his life. What conclusion are we to draw from such a consideration? It seems that there are three possible conclusions open to us:

1.The six factors (physical, psychological and situational limitations, habits, social pressure and fate) do not really matter. Despite them, every individual human being has complete freedom and is in total control of his life. 2. Man is really not free and does not control his life. Everything in mans life is effectively determined by these six factors.

3. Man is free but in a limited way. Mans life is a continual dialogue between his freedom and these six other factors. In this dialogue man is greatly influenced by these factors but is often able, nevertheless, to give a personal direction to his life. Is man truly free? In what way?

Exercises 1. Which of the limitations to freedom presented do you consider most influential? 2. Is man free? Does man still have the power to determine his life despite these limitations? 3. Which of the three conclusions do you agree with? Why?