Determinism

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/determinism

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the compatibilism?The belief that determinism and free will are compatible concepts
2. What is the quantum mechanics impact?Introduced probabilistic elements, challenging strict classical determinism at the subatomic level
3. Does determinism mean we have no free will?Some people say it does, but others believe we can still act freely even if our choices are caused by earlier things. They call this compatibilism.
4. Who first talked about determinism?Ancient thinkers like Leucippus and Democritus, and later philosophers like Spinoza, were early people who discussed determinism.

Causal Determinism: The theory that every event, including human choices, is causally necessitated by antecedent events and conditions.
Free Will (Libertarian): The capacity of agents to make choices that are not fully determined by prior causes.
Compatibilism: The philosophical position that determinism and free will are compatible.