If our
nature is predetermined and fixed, does that mean that all of our actions are
determined? If humans are, for example, innately aggressive, can we be held
responsible for acting aggressively?
How does this impact morality? After our discussion in class today, I agree that even if our nature is determined, our actions are not. We may be more disposed to act in a certain way, but in the end we still have control over our actions. Furthermore, humans are not, by nature, only one thing. Humans are obviously very complex beings who may innately hold many different characteristics. For example, humans could be innately aggressive, cooperative, rational, social, competitive, etc. Therefore, even if humans were innately aggressive, there is no reason to suggest that another innate quality, such as rationality, could not overrule that quality. In other words, a person is most certainly responsible for their actions, even acting aggressively.
Stacy, I just wrote a blog piece about predetermined nature from a cognitive and spiritual perspective. I believe that way may have a predetermined predisposition toward certain interests and intrigue that is passed down genetically from our parents, kind of like encoding a trait or characteristic in our DNA that causes us to be interested in certain things. However, because of the free will of mankind, I believe our choices are not predetermined.
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