Darwin and Determinism

All theory is against the freedom of the will; all experience is for it.

Samuel Johnson

James Boswell's Life of Johnson (1791)

Are we the conscious authors of our actions or do our actions happen to us? A casual discussion of this critical question quickly deteriorates into an abstract metaphysical argument between determinism and free will and settles nothing. Instead of opposites, the experience of conscious will and psychological determinism can both be understood as evolutionary adaptations which function in tandem to promote the fitness of the individual. In Michael Ruse's Darwin and Determinism a biology-based discussion of evolutionary thought is presented and its implications on humanity's notions of free will. Ruse's major thrust is to present his perspective on biology and teleology. This perspective can be understood as arguing that one's motivations and decisions are inherently based on biological principles (food, sex, survival) and that there...
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