Personal Responsibility
Essays

Does "Free Will" Exist and if so, to What Extent does it Exist? The concept of "Free Will" has been debated by many philosophers over a period of centuries, not only regarding its very existence but also regarding its elements, the extent to which it may or may not exist and its moral implications. Our assigned readings have merely touched on debates that have raged and will probably continue to rage as long as human beings contemplate the "truths" about being. Though an exhaustive review of differing philosophical treatments of "Free Will" would probably take hundreds of pages, this work will briefly examine several major philosophies of "Free Will" and some of their most notable proponents. In reviewing these sources and differing approaches to "Free Will," we can see that philosophers approach the concept of "Free Will" with differing definitions, examining disparate aspects and resulting in somewhat different implications for Morality. It is fortunate that this work does not require a definitive conclusion about the existence and impact of "Free Will," for review of sources from class reading and independent reading reveals that the only definitive conclusion can be that there is no definitive conclusion. It appears that each philosopher in his turn treats Free Will and aspects of Free Will somewhat differently and arrives at unique conclusions. Descartes takes the most extreme position examined, apparently believing that there is Free Will and that it is completely unrestrained and undiminished by divine grace or natural knowledge. Immanuel Kant believed that there is Free Will but it is based solely in the rational aspect of the human being and is known essentially because we rationally know that we have certain incontrovertible duties. Roderick Chisholm believes that there is Free Will but that it is specifically linked to a type of "agent causation" as opposed to transeunt or "event" causation. Peter Van Inwagen believes that there is Free Will but only in a very small set of circumstances illustrated by "a garden of forking paths," some of which are illusions. Daniel M. Wegner believes that there is Free Will but that much of our supposed Free Will or Conscious Will is actually a simplistic illusion created for our benefits by our minds. Finally, Benjamin Libet believes there is Free Will but simultaneously refutes much of the traditional notion of Free Will through experiments indicating that many of our actions precede our will and that our exercise of Free Will primarily resides in controlling commenced actions by "vetoing" them. In sum, without even addressing the work of philosophers who do not believe in the existence of Free Will at all, we see disparate approaches to Free Will, to its nature, to its extent and to its moral implications. Indeed, some of these philosophers themselves decry the "incoherence" of philosophical treatments of "Free Will" while attempting to contribute their own thoughts on a vital philosophical topic that shows no signs of uniform conclusions.

I grew up in China, the oldest of two daughters. My family unit, my gender, and my culture all had strong impacts on the way I have lived my life and on the way I live my life now. Who I am now is a direct reflection of…

Financial capability is one of the critical issues that nurses must understand when handling their patients. This study focuses on Mrs. Zwick, a US citizen who was expecting to be treated after suffering from stroke. Four options are addressed in this option with some of the ethical implications encountered. The benefits of COBRA to Davies are also addressed in this study. The challenges encountered when the state/government foots his medical bills are also identified

Families and Children Served through Foster Care

four page analysis of a scenario with principles of social psychology. scenario is: My male roommate was late to work and in a hurry. When he went to start his car he realized the battery was dead. He said, "I knew this would happen, why do the car gods always do this to me? I'm supposed to know about these car things, all the other guys do! Principles are hindsight bias, external locus of control, and social comparison.

Clegg, Stewart Martin Kornberger & Carl Rhodes. (2007). Organizational ethics, decision making, undecidability, ethical decision-making. The Sociological Review, 55:2.

'Personal responsibility' is a common buzzword in American political and business life. Americans are often more forgiving of politicians and CEOs who accept responsibility for the mistakes they have made.

This paper examines the causes of alcoholism and alcohol abuse. It begins with the position that approximately half of the cause of alcoholism is genetic, but that other factors influence the expression of this genetic predisposition. The paper examines the biological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors that impact alcohol abuse.

This five page paper is a review of the book "Sick" by Jonathan Cohn. It covers many topics related to the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries including HMO's, the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and ACO's. In addition to the book review, there is discussion of how the work relates to current topics and a conclusion about where reform can take America.

¶ … graduating high school student enters college he or she is perceived to be a young responsible adult in thought and action. However, the college environment is one in which there exists no curfews, parents, or other…