People s behavior is largely determined by forces not of their own making Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim In developing and supporting your position be sure to address the most compelling reas

The debate between free will or determinism is still at large. The prompt sides with the perspective of determinism, suggesting that behaviour is largely determined by external forces not of the individual’s making. In my opinion, I mostly agree with this statement for two reasons.

Some may argue that one’s behaviour’s and subsequent outcomes are in the hands of that person. For instance, people are able to choose whether they wish to pursue post-secondary school, what field of study to enter, and how much effort to exert to obtain their goals. Once in school, they can then choose to slack and do the bare minimum, or to study hard and take advantage of opportunities to strengthen their resume; making themselves the best candidate for prospective companies. These decisions are important, as it ultimately affects their future. Evidently, the one’s who choose to study hard will be more likely to succeed, whereas the one’s who slacked will likely struggle to find a good-paying job. This example demonstrates the existence of free will rather than determinism, as people are presented with various options and paths to choose from.

In many cases, however, there are many external forces that come into play and largely affect people’s behaviours. For instance, some people are born into low-income homes and unable to afford post-secondary school. As a result, many are unable to find high-paying jobs that will provide themselves and their families a good life. Moreover, research has demonstrated that genetics play a large role in people’s behaviours. For example, some have a higher predisposition to drug addition than others. Many students experiment with drug – this experimental phase, however, can significantly impact the lives of some individual’s far greater those with no predisposition to drug addiction. That is, while many can smoke marijuana once and have no further desire to continue, those with a predisposition may become addicted and the chase for drugs can override any previous goals and desires. This example illustrates that, while it may seem as though the individual has full control over their decisions, there are always many variables that contribute to one’s behaviours.

Natural disasters are external forces that cannot be controlled, yet can significantly impact an individual’s behaviour. While people may have their own routines and behavioural norms, natural disasters, such as tsunami’s and earthquakes, are unpredictable and can drastically change one’s life. Take for instance, an individual is a firm believer altruistic behaviour. Let’s say an earthquake has hit his city and chaos has erupted. While he may wish to save everyone, it would be impossible. Therefore, given the circumstances, the individual is put in a situation where he must choose between saving a family of two or saving a family of four from drowning. While he would usually save both families, he now must change his process of decision-making and behaviours to fit most adaptively with surviving the natural disaster. This example illustrates that unpredictable outcomes can play a large role in one’s behaviours, changing the process that they would usually undergo when making decisions.

In conclusion, there are many factors that play a role in one’s behaviour. The controversial debate between free will and determinism is still an ongoing discussion between researchers. However, my opinion remains that people’s behaviours are largely determined by forces not of their making.