Dustin McCutchen DSSA 200 Professor Riedel 14 October, 2014 Free Will vs. Determinism Speaking Outline 1. Free will vs. Determinism is a largely argued topic among the beliefs about the true “Social Self.” Along with those two terms is one more called term; “soft determinism.” Soft determinism is basically a neutral zone or the belief that both “free will,” and “Determinism” hold true values. I personally believe that soft determinism is the best word to describe the true social self. I think both free will and determinism are right and wrong in their own ways. 2. Determinism a. “The determinist approach proposes that all behavior is caused by preceding factors and is thus predictable. The causal laws of determinism form the basis of science” (McLeod, sentence 1). b. Does play a roll but does not determine “ALL” behavior c. Does not make ALL behavior predictable i. Ex. 1 = Political views and picking a president to vote for can be deterministic because most 18 year olds don’t watch the news everyday and form their own political opinions and know what president to vote for and why. They don’t need to. So they just vote for whom their parents tell them to ii. Ex. 2 = children see their parents committing crimes like lying, cheating, or abusing their kids, that does not mean in any way that the children will imitate that behavior as a parent. Maybe the children hate what their parents do so much that it makes the child want to be nothing like his/her mom or dad. d. Pinpointing an exact prediction of a persons behavior is next to impossible. i. To many variables. 3. Free Will a. “For humanistic psychologists such as Maslow and Rogers freedom is not only possible but also necessary if we are to become fully functional human beings. Both see self-actualization as a unique human need and form of motivation setting us apart from all other species” (McLeod, “Free Will,” 2). b. Hard to argue solid points for because you can come up with an argument against almost every example of free will. c. Ex. Dirt-poor kid growing up in New York City. Doesn’t even have enough food day to day to survive; your instincts say steal. Now the kid has the option or the “free will” to either be a good kid and starve, or go steal something to eat from a vendor on the sidewalk or the corner market store. i. People that believe in free will would say that, “the kid has the option to pick whichever one he wants.” ii. But a determinist would argue that, that situation was determined because if it wasn’t for his parents being poor and him being born into a poor home, then he wouldn’t have to think about stealing at all. 4. Soft Determinism a. “The belief that free will and determinism are compatible ideas, and that it is possible to believe both without being logically inconsistent. Compatibilists believe freedom can be present or absent in situations for reasons that have nothing to do with metaphysics.” b. In the society we live in today I think both sides hold truth and val ...

1. Dustin McCutchen
DSSA 200
Professor Riedel
14 October, 2014
Free Will vs. Determinism Speaking Outline
1. Free will vs. Determinism is a largely argued topic among the
beliefs about the true “Social Self.” Along with those two terms
is one more called term; “soft determinism.” Soft determinism
is basically a neutral zone or the belief that both “free will,”
and “Determinism” hold true values. I personally believe that
soft determinism is the best word to describe the true social
self. I think both free will and determinism are right and wrong
in their own ways.
2. Determinism
a. “The determinist approach proposes that all behavior is
caused by preceding factors and is thus predictable. The causal
laws of determinism form the basis of science” (McLeod,
sentence 1).
b. Does play a roll but does not determine “ALL” behavior
c. Does not make ALL behavior predictable
i. Ex. 1 = Political views and picking a president to vote for can
be deterministic because most 18 year olds don’t watch the
news everyday and form their own political opinions and know
what president to vote for and why. They don’t need to. So they
just vote for whom their parents tell them to
ii. Ex. 2 = children see their parents committing crimes like
lying, cheating, or abusing their kids, that does not mean in any
way that the children will imitate that behavior as a parent.
Maybe the children hate what their parents do so much that it
makes the child want to be nothing like his/her mom or dad.
d. Pinpointing an exact prediction of a persons behavior is next
to impossible.
i. To many variables.
3. Free Will

2. a. “For humanistic psychologists such as Maslow and Rogers
freedom is not only possible but also necessary if we are to
become fully functional human beings. Both see self-
actualization as a unique human need and form of motivation
setting us apart from all other species” (McLeod, “Free Will,”
2).
b. Hard to argue solid points for because you can come up with
an argument against almost every example of free will.
c. Ex. Dirt-poor kid growing up in New York City. Doesn’t even
have enough food day to day to survive; your instincts say steal.
Now the kid has the option or the “free will” to either be a good
kid and starve, or go steal something to eat from a vendor on
the sidewalk or the corner market store.
i. People that believe in free will would say that, “the kid has
the option to pick whichever one he wants.”
ii. But a determinist would argue that, that situation was
determined because if it wasn’t for his parents being poor and
him being born into a poor home, then he wouldn’t have to
think about stealing at all.
4. Soft Determinism
a. “The belief that free will and determinism are compatible
ideas, and that it is possible to believe both without being
logically inconsistent. Compatibilists believe freedom can be
present or absent in situations for reasons that have nothing to
do with metaphysics.”
b. In the society we live in today I think both sides hold truth
and value
i. Hard to agree with just one approach
c. Determinism plays a roll in
i. Who you are, how you are, and the genes in your body.
ii. It can also determine some of the choices and decisions you
make in life
d. Ultimately, free will is needed in order to
i. Make unique, functional human being.
ii. Also necessary when talking about personal and moral
responsibility.

3. Dustin McCutchen
DSSA 200
Professor Riedel
13 October, 2014
Free Will vs. Determinism
Is it that you find yourself in every situation reacting just
like one of your parents would have reacted? Or do you feel that
you are free and have a mind of your own to say and do what
you want with…? Maybe there is a little bit of truth to both of
those statements. This is the controversy that has been going on
for a very long time. Free will vs. Determinism is a largely
argued topic among the beliefs about the true “Social Self.”
Along with those two terms is one more called term; “soft
determinism.” Soft determinism is basically a neutral zone or
the belief that both “free will,” and “Determinism” hold true
values. That neither one is 100% correct. I personally believe
that soft determinism is the best word to describe the true social
self. I think both free will and determinism are right and wrong
in their own ways.
To begin, it is difficult to validate what counts as
determinism and what doesn’t. Some say that determinism is
any behavior that is affected by any other factors at all. In
reality, almost every decision that is made by a person can be
argued that it was determined or affected by nature or anything
else. Determinism does definitely hold some truth and validity
in life. “The determinist approach proposes that all behavior is
caused by preceding factors and is thus predictable. The causal
laws of determinism form the basis of science” (McLeod,
sentence 1). This sentence is neither completely true nor false.
Determinism, in my opinion, does in fact play a roll in behavior
and by preceding factors. But that doesn’t mean it is, “all” of
the behavior in life, and it does not make that behavior truly

4. “predictable.” For example, young adults, including myself,
usually take their parents political views and choose what party
to vote for based on the beliefs of their parents. Most 18 year
olds don’t watch the news everyday and form their own political
opinions and know what president to vote for and why. They
don’t need to. So they just vote for whom their parents tell them
to. But, just because that example holds truth in the definition
of determinism, that does not mean that it holds true for every
instance. If children see their parents committing crimes like
lying, cheating, or abusing their kids, that does not mean in any
way that the children will imitate that behavior as a parent.
Maybe the children hate what their parents do so much that it
makes the child want to be nothing like his/her mom or dad.
Predicting a person’s behavior is near impossible. There are to
many variables in a personality to really pin point how each
person is going to act.
On another note, “Those who advocate determinism run into
something of a contradiction, however, when they try to argue
their point with those who argue for free will” (Free Will, 2).
How can anyone argue a point if the point should already be
determined? Determinists believe that everything is set in stone
and life is pre determined from the moment you are conceived.
That would mean that everyone would share the same theories
about determinism, which proves to be faulty. But,
“Behaviorists are strong believers in determinism. Their most
forthright and articulate spokesman has been B. F. Skinner.
Concepts like “free will” and “motivation” are dismissed as
illusions that disguise the real causes of human behavior”
(McLeod, Determinism 3). Some things are strictly
deterministic. I believe “genetic determinism” is the most
accurate form of determinism. Because in reality, there is no
free will in choosing who your parents are, when you are born,
or the genes you receive. Those things are determined from
before birth. I do not entirely agree with determinism.
Although I argue against some of the beliefs in determinism, it
does not mean I fully agree with free will either. I do, however,

5. agree with more of the theories behind free will then behind
determinism. “For humanistic psychologists such
as Maslow and Rogers freedom is not only possible but also
necessary if we are to become fully functional human beings.
Both see self-actualization as a unique human need and form of
motivation setting us apart from all other species” (McLeod,
“Free Will,” 2). I believe that Maslow and Rogers are correct.
We do need to be free. Have free opinions, make our own
choices and choose what path of life we go down. But
sometimes free will can be very hard to explain and make
arguments for. “According to David Hume, the question of the
nature of free will is “the most contentious question of
metaphysics” (Internet, 1). You can come up with an argument
against free will from almost anything. For example, if you are
a dirt-poor kid growing up in New York City. And you don’t
even have enough food day to day to survive; your instincts say
steal. Now the kid has the option or the “free will” to either be
a good kid and starve, or go steal something to eat from a
vendor on the sidewalk or the corner market store. People that
believe in free will would say that, “the kid has the option to
pick whichever one he wants.” But a determinist would argue
that, that situation was determined because if it wasn’t for his
parents being poor and him being born into a poor home, then
he wouldn’t have to think about stealing at all. So both theories
play a roll in this decision. Arguments against free will are very
easy to make and other things like mental illnesses undermine
the idea of free will. But I personally feel as though free will is
what makes up people. Without free will we would be like a
bunch of robots. Besides the fact that “free will is closely
related to two other important philosophical issues: freedom of
action and moral responsibility” (Internet, 3). Can’t have either
of those without free will. That is why I believe in soft
determinism.
Soft determinism is “the belief that free will and determinism
are compatible ideas, and that it is possible to believe both
without being logically inconsistent. Compatibilists believe

6. freedom can be present or absent in situations for reasons that
have nothing to do with metaphysics.” I believe that both
determinism and free will play a major roll in almost everyone’s
behavior. Obviously determinism plays a roll in who you are,
how you are and the genes in your body. It can also determine
some of the choices and decisions you make in life. But
ultimately, free will is needed in order to a unique, functional
human being. It is also necessary when talking about personal
and moral responsibility. How can a person be held responsible
for an action they committed is it was already determined? Free
will is needed in order to hold people accountable for the
actions they commit.
In conclusion, both determinism and free will hold a significant
value in people’s behavior. Neither side proves to be 100%
correct when talking about which word is more accurate. They
both have their rights and their wrongs. And each side can be
contradicted quite easily. Soft determinism is the world we live
in today. I personally believe that soft determinism is the best
word to describe the true social self
Work Cited
"Free Will vs. Determinism." Free Will vs. Determinism. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
<http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/general/bldef_freewi
ll.htm>.
"Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy." Free Will []. N.p., n.d.
Web. 12 Oct. 2014. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/freewill/>.
McLeod, S. A. (2013). Freewill and Determinism in
Psychology. Retrieved from
http://www.simplypsychology.org/freewill-determinism.html

7. 1
McCutchen,
Dustin McCutchen
DSSA 200
Professor Riedel
15 September, 2014
All About Me
Bang! There I was, for the first time ever, opening my
eyes, spying the bright, cruel thing we know as life. It happened
on the nice, warm, summer night of July 25th, 1994, in a small,
little, two-mile town called Matamoras, Pennsylvania. The type
of town where everyone knows everyone else and news travels
like drama in a high school hallway. I have lived in Matamoras
for my entire life and most of my immediate family also resides
there. Where I grew up in, along with my family and close
friends have truly shaped me into the person I am today. My full
name is Dustin James McCutchen and I can relate my life to
certain class discussions such as “The Development and
Shaping of The Self” power point, and “the Freewill and
Determinism in Psychology” article.
I am the son of David and Valerie McCutchen. I am the middle
child with Matthew McCutchen being my older brother and
Harrison McCutchen being my younger brother. I am very close
with both of my brothers although my older brother, Matt, does
not live with me. We have the same dad but different mothers,
and he has always lived with his mom. Thankfully he doesn’t
live far from us so we always saw him consistently. I don’t
consider him my “half” brother in any way because to me he is
just as much blood as Harrison and I are. Matt and I are two and
a half years apart and Harrison and I are almost 6 years apart.

8. So Harrison and I aren’t as close due to the age difference but
the older he gets the more we get along and closer we become.
Regardless, both of my brothers are my best friends and there is
no one in the world that I trust more. Nothing will ever come
between us.
I went to a private school up until third grade when I
transferred to public. The transition was very rough for me at
first and I almost switched to homeschooling but thankfully I
didn’t. It was really hard being the new kid and having to adapt
to a completely different learning, grading, and teaching style
than what I was used to. I was advanced for my age and a lot of
the other students thought of me as the teacher’s little pet type
because I was always the first person to raise my hand or
complete and assignment. Luckily I stuck it out, and for that
became considerably more independent and free as a person
then I previously had been. Like Maslow and Rogers say,
“freedom is not only possible but also necessary if we are to
become fully functional human beings. Both see self-
actualization as a unique human need and form of motivation
setting us apart from all other species. There is thus a line to be
drawn between the natural and the social sciences (Maslow.)” I
was able to adapt to my new environment, I graduated from
Delaware Valley High School in 2013.
My family plays a huge roll in my life. We are very tightly
knitted and just about all of my immediate family lives in
Matamoras or very close to it. My dad’s two brothers and my
dad’s parents live within blocks to where I live and my mom’s
side of the family lives just outside of town. This makes it easy
for all of us to get together on a regular basis. My mother’s side
of the family comes from Brooklyn, NY, so they are the classic,
old style, Italian, city family. My father’s side comes from all
over. My grandfather is from Alabama and he met my
grandmother in Germany during the war when he was stationed
there. The rest of my dad’s side lives in Georgia. So between
having a mom from the city and a dad from the country, I think
my brothers and I are very well rounded. My dad’s, father is

9. what we like to call “Heinz 57,” or a little bit of everything. He
has Irish, German, Dutch, and whatever else in his heritage. My
dad’s mother is 100 percent German, born and raised in
Deutschland with tons of family still remaining there. My
mom’s parents are 100 percent Italian with our ancestors
coming from all over Italy but there are no remaining relatives
there. So my main heritage is 50 percent Italian, a little less
then 50 percent German, a little bit of Irish and of course last
but not least 100 percent American.
Furthermore, my heritage is important to me because I believe
in individualism. “One’s culture values the virtues of
independence, autonomy, and self-reliance (Riedel 19.)” which
makes it pretty important in multiple aspects of our everyday
lives. The holidays we celebrate, the traditions we carry, the
values we hold and most importantly, where my family
originated all leads back to where our great ancestors are from.
For example, on Christmas Eve every year we always celebrate
the feast of the seven fishes. This is an old Italian tradition that
originates from Southern Italy, where it is known as “The Vigil
(La Vigilia). My mom was raised Catholic and practicing
Catholics are not supposed to eat meat on Christmas Eve. So
they have fish. And any time my mom’s side of the family gets
together to eat there is never a time when we don’t have an-anti
pasta dish out with Italian bread and Sopressata. Then, when my
German grandmother cooks she always goes all out. Huge
portions of food that could feed an army, Spätzle, potato salad,
mashed potatoes, ham, coleslaw, stuffed muffins, the list goes
on. Knowing where I’m from and where my family originated
gives me a deeper sense of pride in my family and myself.
Regarding my hobbies, my hobbies and sports go hand in hand.
I don’t really have a favorite professional team in any sport
except baseball. I am, in fact, a Mets fan as much as everyone
else hates them! I love being active, working out, and doing
anything physical. I started playing baseball when I was five
years old. I trained year round at indoor training facilities and
on teams in the spring but ended up quitting in 7th grade when I

10. fell in love with lacrosse. I played football and lacrosse through
high school and I’m extremely proud to have been the captain
my lacrosse team. I was always a small kid compared to all of
my other friends and athletes that I competed with/against. For
me, I didn’t see my height and weight as an obstacle or issue
because in my mind it was all about effort. What I put into it is
what I will get back. No coach can criticize or patronize me as
long as I give 110 percent effort every time I step onto the field.
I was a very self-determined kid and it helped me achieve many
things that I strived for growing up. “Free will is the idea that
we are able to have some choice in how we act and assumes that
we are free to choose our behavior, in other words we are self
determined (McLeod, S).” My parents always stressed the point
of free will to me. And by having that “free will” instilled in me
from the time I was little, it always made me work harder and
do my best. George Herbert Mead’s theory talks about the
“generalized other” and how individuals take on roles,
anticipating others responses to their actions. He proclaimed,
“The organized community or social group which gives to the
individual his unity of self may be called “the generalized
other.” The attitude of the generalized other is the attitude of
the whole community. Thus, for example, in the case of such a
social group as a ball team, the team is the generalized other in
so far as it enters- as an organized process or social activity-
into the experience of any one of the individuals (Mead 154.)”
Lastly, I haven’t traveled the world much yet, but I have been
fortunate enough to visit a few places. My first trip out of the
country was when I was 14 years old. My whole household flew
to Germany for a 2-week vacation. It was an absolute blast and I
enjoyed every second of it. We visited all of my family that
lives in Germany and toured multiple towns and cities. We went
to France for a day while we were there but I didn’t enjoy that
too much. The area we were in wasn’t very American friendly.
On top of that, I have also been to the Dominican Republic on
my senior class trip. The beaches and water are gorgeous there.
And finally I went to with my cousin from Germany to Mexico

11. on a week vacation and also enjoyed that very much. He had
been living there and made several friends who were Mexican
and German. So I got to experience Mexico like a resident
instead of a tourist.
In conclusion, I feel I have lived a very privileged life thus far.
I have an outstanding, loving, caring family who I can depend
on for anything. I have been lucky enough to travel to multiple
locations on the globe. I’ve had a very successful high school
athletic and academic career that I’m quite proud of. My
heritage has played a big roll in my upbringing and I wouldn’t
want it any other way. Having multiple nationalities and
cultures has broadened my view on many aspects of life and
turned me into an adequately more diverse person. If it weren’t
for my family and our cultural traditions/values, I would be a
much different person then I am today.
Work Cited
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human
Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-96.
McLeod, S. A. (2013). Freewill and Determinism in
Psychology. Retrieved from
http://www.simplypsychology.org/freewill-determinism.html
Robert Riedel “The Self” File last modified 10 Sep. 2013.
Microsoft PowerPoint File.