Free Will
The idea of free will appears certain to most people. The fact that individuals can choose to do what makes them comfortable has been taken as free will. Generally, the lack of free will leads people into thinking that freedom has been taken from them. Free will allows people to act to their full potential, thus becoming more productive. Harry Frankfurt has been the main supporter of free will in his compatibility model and believes that people should be allowed to showcase their full potential. A person is said to be under a free will if the actions they have chosen to do is not the only available option.
An individual is said to have acted under a free will if the choice they have made is not the only option they could have made. Individuals who have free will tend to be more productive because consequences do not limit them. Also, the concept of free will is based on the argument that an individual makes decisions that are entirely theirs. Besides, individuals operating under free will have total control over their actions and can go to any extent towards achieving their goals in life. Moreover, free will is the basic foundation for moral responsibility. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
People tend to behave well when they are aware of the things they can do and those that they ought to do. Moral responsibility comes in to justify what people are supposed or not supposed to do. However, moral responsibility may appear to some people as a compromise for free will hence the reason why some people follow immoral acts in society. Generally, moral responsibility comes to balance the gap that may be brought by free will. For example, people under free will may take advantage of engaging in morally unacceptable behaviors. Such behaviors are controlled by moral responsibility and societal policies that specify how people should conduct themselves to allow for the comfort of everyone in society. Moral responsibilities and societal policies do not compromise free will, and individuals may operate under free will, while adhering to moral responsibility. For example, an individual may have the freedom to steal from a weaker person from a society where the law is not firmly kept. However, moral responsibility leads people into believing that they can relate well with other people without being forced. Therefore, free will is controlled by moral responsibility and cannot be misused as some people might think. Moreover, free will is advantageous to individuals who believe in their existence.
The belief in free will has several advantages and should be given significant attention when explaining the perfect behavior of people. Individuals operating under free will tend to have fewer worries compared to their counterparts who believe in having their lives being controlled by others. For example, people under free will tend to have better mental health compared to thus working under restrictions. Generally, free will saves an individual from unnecessary pressure and lets them concentrate on activities that they are comfortable doing. Also, resistance is minimal or absent, where free will is embraced, and the environment is peaceful. For example, adolescents tend to be rebellious when restrictions are set on their lives. Mostly, lack of free will keeps people stressed and may significantly negatively impact their mental health. Moreover, Harry Frankfurt argues through his theory of compatibility that free will is compatible with moral responsibility.
Harry Frankfurt presents a definition of free will that allows for the position of alternatives in the allowance of free will. Individuals operating under free will and moral responsibility have more than one choice to make. However, the choice made is based on the freedom of the individual to choose what they deem to be right. For example, an individual may decide to sleep the whole day without being questioned. However, they know that waking up early is a better option, and they should take it if they want to be successful. Generally, there are no restrictions concerning the time that an individual should wake up. Free will, however, comes in to give the individual the freedom to wake up at the time that is perfect for them. Furthermore, a free will should not be taken from the negative perception but instead should be considered as an aspect that works in collaboration with moral responsibility.
In sum, free will allows people to act to their full potential, thus becoming more productive. Generally, individuals operating under free will have total control over their actions and can go to any extent towards achieving their goals in life. However, moral responsibility leads people into believing that they can relate well with other people without being forced. Harry Frankfurt argues through his theory of compatibility that free will is compatible with moral responsibility. Furthermore, a free will should not be taken from the negative perception but instead should be considered as an aspect that works in collaboration with moral responsibility.