Free will Determinism
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The free will/determinism debate focuses on causes of behavior, and for this essay more specifically criminal behavior. Free will in essence, is the supposition that the crime was committed purely voluntarily and by choice by the offender without any external properties that may influence their choice. On the contrary, determinism relates to factors that may influence and ultimately cause criminal behavior. Inevitably, in the debate, the question why do people commit crime will arise. I investigated this question and more particularly the determinism debate through the study of; external determinism (situationism), internal determinism (dispositional theory), hard v soft determinism, and the three schools of thought of causes of crime (classical, neoclassical and positive). Through these theories and other evidence I have been persuaded to believe that criminal behavior, in the main, is able to be determined to a certain degree and is not solely free will. However I don't believe entirely on determinism, consequently my belief is of soft determinism, which was formed as follows;
Free will and/or determinism can be argued extensively as to the effect it has on criminal behavior. Criminal behavior is a crime against rules or regulations implemented by a government that are able to be enforced in a legal establishment or system such as courts that punish the crime accordingly. The determinism debate is essential to the enforcement of crime and in turn the punishment handed out. It is only in understanding criminal behavior that criminal behavior can be prevented...