W. T. Stace Analysis

W. T. Stace is a compatibilist meaning that determinism, the stance that every action is caused by something external so we have no free will, and free will, the ability to make our own choices, can somehow go together. To clarify, in determinism, a choice is made because of a previous choice that was also caused by a previous choice, it is a chain. This chain goes on and on which further explains the determinist belief that everything has a cause and is basically determined before a “decision” is even made.

A simple example of this is someone going into a coffee shop, debating between getting a Chai tea or a vanilla latte, and getting a vanilla latte. Many determinists would say that because of previous actions, it was not even possible for the person to choose tea because it was already determined they would choose tea. As for the free will side of this situation, one would say that even with the same actions leading up to this moment, the person still could have chosen to get tea. This is a simple example but with every action this same debate exists. …show more content…
On the other hand, with free will you have all moral responsibility for your decisions. This is one of the main differences between free will and determinism which is why it can be argued that the two cannot be merged. However, Stace thinks there is a way to combine these two views. This is saying that though we are influenced to make certain decisions by our needs, upbringing, and surroundings, we still make the ultimate

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