The Compatibility of Free Will and Eternalism: Philosophy Assignment

This philosophy essay delves into the complex relationship between free will and eternalism. It begins by establishing the significance of free will in various aspects of human life, including moral codes and political ideologies, and contrasts this with scientific advancements suggesting that all human actions are determined by cause and effect. The essay introduces the concept of eternalism, which posits that all points in time are equally real, and argues that this perspective challenges the notion of free will. It then presents the motivations behind the eternalist theory and the arguments against free will within this framework, including the idea that past events determine future actions. The essay concludes by suggesting that there is a plausible relation where past facts and future acts have some relations between them, and the limitations this places on free will.

Running Head: Assignment Philosophy
Assignment
Philosophy

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1. Is eternalism consistent with us having free will? Why or why not? (Remember to be as
clear as possible about what you mean when you are talking about free will.)
Answer:
Since centuries, logicians and scholars have mutually agreed about human progress depends
upon a prevalent hypothesis of free will and if we lose such belief, it would be cataclysmic. Our
codes of morals, for instance, accept that we can unreservedly pick amongst good and bad. In the
Christianity, there is a term called moral liberty which is an ability to recognize and seek after
the high, rather than only being constrained by cravings and wishes. Some believe that there is
connection amongst freedom and goodness. In any event that we are not allowed to pick, then
how could we state that we should pick the way of nobility (Inwagen, 1983).
Nowadays, the freedom of choice goes through each part of American political issues, from
welfare to criminal law. It pervades the prevailing culture and supports the American dream—the
conviction that anybody can make a big deal about themselves regardless of what their begin in
life. As Barack Obama wrote in the Audacity of hope that American qualities are established in a
fundamental hopefulness about existence and confidence in free choice.
So what happens if this trust dissolves? The sciences have become consistently bolder in their
case that all human conduct can be clarified through the accuracy laws of circumstances and end
results. Around 150 years ago when Charles Darwin initially wrote about the origin of species,
there is a shift in paradigm towards intellectual advancement (Harman, 2009). Soon after
Darwin set forth his hypothesis of development, his cousin Sir Francis Galton started to draw out
the suggestions: if we have advanced, then intellectual capacities like insight must be genetic
(Reeve, 1971). However, we utilize those resources—which a few people have to a more

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remarkable degree than others—to decide. So our capacity to pick our destiny is not free but
rather relies on upon our organic legacy.
To resolve the debate, the current research has made a severe blow to the idea of free will. Brain
scanners have empowered us to look inside a living individual's skull, uncovering mind boggling
systems of neurons and permitting researchers to achieve a broad understanding that both
qualities and condition mold these systems. Additionally, there is an agreement among the
scientists that the neuronal firings are not only decided by our considerations, trusts,
recollections, and dreams.
We realize that alteration in brain chemistry could influence behaviors neither liquor nor
antipsychotics would have their impacts. Similarly, it remains safe for brain structure: cases of
conventional grown-ups becoming killers or pedophiles after brain tumor development shows
how reliant we are on the gray matters physical properties.
Eternalism is an approach to philosophy that depends on the ontology of time taking account of
all time points as real as compare to presentist outlook. It considered that present is the only
thing that is real while the growing block universe theory is the time method in which the past
and ongoing is real, and future is unpredictable and not real. Eternalism doesn’t believe in the
free will concept. This argument is all time prevalent that universe exists because of free will or
eternalism. As if eternalism is true then it’s like past documents and drive the future actions, and
if it’s true then there can’t be any free will
The motivation behind eternalism theory:

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1. Eternalism is the theory dictates that for any action A that has been happened in past at any
time in history will make changes in Andrews and it will be Andrews will A. This means that the
theory holds good will say, and the recent facts dictates the future
2. In the second motivation of theory. According to which if the past entails the future actions
then why future is so unpredictable and not under control. But learning from the past indeed
assures that there is no complete free will in the future
If we conclude, there must be a plausible relation, where past fact and future acts have some
relations between them. Learning from the past events to entail our future will make us biased
and inclined towards what entails it, and we don’t rescue for the freedom as we are inclined
towards that thought that cannot control the past facts, but the reality is eternalism did we think
of the past facts before any actions

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References
Harman, P. M., Harman, P. M., Harman, P. M., & Harman, P. M. (2009). The culture of nature
in Britain, 1680-1860. Yale University Press.
Reeve, E. G. (1971). A Comment on Some of Sir Francis Galton's Observations and Inferences
with Regard to Free-Will. Philosophy, 46(177), 259-261.
Van Inwagen, P. (1983). An essay on free will.