Hospers\' View of Human Behavior

Hospers' view of human behavior

What is the cause of human behavior according to Hospers? Evaluate his view.

Paul Hospers takes a fundamentally deterministic view of human nature. According to Hospers, we are born with a certain character, due to influences such as genetics and our original environment. These influences are beyond our immediate control, and as the causes of our actions are rooted in our characters, our behaviors are predetermined. Hospers writes that every character "has been molded by influences which in large measure at least determine his present behavior; he is literally the product of these influences, stemming from periods prior to his 'years of discretion,' giving him a host of character traits that he cannot change. . . . What if even the degree of will power available to him in shaping his habits . . . is a factor over which he has no control? What are we to say of this kind of 'freedom?' Is it not rather like the freedom of the machine to stamp labels on cans when it has been devised for just that purpose?" (Fay 2009) Characters are set in stone, mechanized to create a certain good or bad products or 'stamp labels,' according to this analogy. They cannot become better; only make a defective 'imprint.'

Rationalizing backwards, of course it is easy to show a lack of responsibility for almost every action. For example, an individual with a fraternal twin who is schizophrenic is 60% more likely to develop the disorder than an individual without such a family history; poverty, poor nourishment, poor education and other deprivations statistically increase the likelihood of a negative life outcome. The desire to change itself must be implanted with schooling, and may have its roots in genetic factors. However, it is equally impossible to predict with absolute certainty, even given known genetic and environmental circumstances, who will flourish. What of the 40% of individuals with the same genetic makeup and social influences who do not become schizophrenic? Unlike a stamp-imprinter, a human being apparently 'set' at an early age can make a surprisingly unique and better 'stamp' than its designers might expect. Additionally, many individuals with favorable life circumstances do not succeed, despite the stamp label manufacture's belief that their imprint is perfect, given the care put into the design.