Are we responsible for our own actions?, page 4

Originally posted by Simulacra

Originally posted by instar
Similacra, can you explain in a different way how we might "not" be responsible for our own actions?

Anyone you like, its quite thought provoking.

There are a couple ways to negate personal responsibility in a humans life. First off, the concept of a �Supreme Being�. If our lives are pre-determined from a creator at our conception then how can we possibly be responsible for our actions? The actions aren�t our own, we are just forced to undergo them. For example, take the concept of fate. We can't escape it, so how can we ultimately be responsible for the actions? This also eliminates the notion of 'Free Will'.

Ahh, now its clearer. under that idea, No, i dont beleive that, I can choose to gun down a child in the school playground or choose not to. "fate" is a cop out, as it pertains to the individual. I think id have a hard time convincing any court that fate determined i would blow away a child, it wasnt my choice. We are not puppets, we make our choices alone, even under duress we have choice.
"fate" as it pertains to the masses, may be thought of as circumstantially sealed, for example, its not my personal choice if Australia becomes a republic, my single vote is not the decider.
Even the soldier I beleive is ultimatly responsible for his/her own actions.
Orders are a cop out too. A soldier ordered to shoot and kill a child in iraq has a choice to obey or not, consequences may influence but not control
choice.
He/She cannot be forced to shoot, if He/she is physically manipulated into that action against choice then the action is the responsibility of the forcer.
The answer is YES, outside of :
(a) the person is a child lacking the maturaty to make a moral choice
(b) the person is intellectually disabled and unaware of consequences of their actions.
We are responsible for our own actions and choices. Even a person "brainwashed" by a cult, still makes their own choices and acts according to those choices, regardless of beleif.

Do you see what im trying to get at Quango? These perceived 'decisions' are just actions merely based on the environmental/cultural/religious/political/economical/societal influences.

Ahh, more insight. Thats saying our every action is based on social conditioning, not concious thought and consideration of consequences?
I dont buy it, even a child knows he/she can choose act spontaneously,
even outside of parental conditioning.
A child pulls free of his mothers hand in the street and approaches a homeless man and gives him a nickle because the child reasons the man looks sad.
The child has been conditioned by his mother not to talk to strangers, yet he chose freely to act with compassion, despite his mothers rules.
"why did you do that, i told you never talk to strangers"
"but mom, he looked sad"
The boy is responsible for his own action, he has considered the consequences ~his mother will be angry, but he chose to do it anyway.
How is he not responsible for disobeying his mother?

[edit on 013131p://46121 by instar]