See crime as an illness -
due to upbringing. Do not
blame someone for
catching flu. Social
conditioning in same way
cannot be blamed
Can't punish criminals
Can still advocate praise,
blame and punishment as
causes to determine desired
behaviour. To condition.
strengthen causal connection
to desirable behaviour.
neurones sensitive to reward
and punishment
Ought implies can
If we say a person ought to
have done something -
precondition is that they must
have been able to do it
But from determinism i am only ever going
to take one course of action and cannot do
otherwise for psychological or sociological
reasons - so if i cant have done otherwise
then pointless to say ought to have done
otherwise
Cant be held responsible
for anything, pos nor neg.
However - determinism fails to
account for feelings of
remorse; implies we could
have done otherwise
Undermines rationality
Reason disappears - e.g. theory of
evolution; believe in it - read books, have
discussions, see fossils - on basis of
evidence i judge theory to be true,
BUT is determinism true i am causally
determined to have this belief - do not
freely judge - cannot have believed
otherwise
So i dont form an idea on the basis of
reasons i consider - whole idea of reason
seems to dissapear
Give someone a reason is
'causes' someone to believe or
not - no making up mind. No
good or bad arguments only
those that do or dont cause belief
IF determinism true no such
thing as reasoning - but
determinism says there is
reasoning - determinism must
be false