Transcript Freedom and Determinism - Race Relations Project

The Sociology of
Freedom
How free are we?
EXPLAINING DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN PEOPLE/GROUPS
• BIOLOGICAL: cause of behavior is
related to people’s genetic differences
• SOCIOLOGICAL: cause of behavior is
related to people’s sociological differences
THE SOCIOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
HINGES ON THE DEBATE BETWEEN:
FREE-WILL: people choose the majority
of their actions & thoughts
vs.
DETERMINISM: people’s actions &
thoughts are shaped by factors and forces
largely outside of their control
Free Will-Libertarian Position
• People are always free to think/act other than
the way they do
• Our economic and political circumstances are
PRIMARILY shaped by our individual choices
(rich people make smart choices and poor
people make unwise decisions)
• Our emotions get in the way of understanding
freedom (monkeys video)
• Often associated with Republicans conservatives
ACHIEVEMENT IDEOLOGY
• Every American has an equal chance of
“making it”
• Every American can succeed if they work
hard enough
Conservatism
• While actions are both enabled and constrained
by factors outside of our control we ALWAYS
have the ability to choose
• The good society exists when people take
responsibility for their decisions
• When people are responsible, the government
can be down-sized and organized in a way that
benefits everyone and not just less responsible
people or decision-makers in power
– and the “free market” can operate effectively
• Communitarian relief should be used sparingly
because the more the government helps people,
the less individuals take responsibility
– and the less society prospers
Determinist-Communitarian
Position
• Material conditions shape all aspects of our lives
• Personal choices only partially shape our
socioeconomic circumstances (poor people lack
opportunities more than the desire not to be
poor…)
• Sometimes the “constraints” are subtle (free
hugs video)
• Usually associated with Democrats - liberals
Laughter and Others
• There are thousands of studies about how
other people affect our actions
• One on laughter and others:
– 42 percent of similarity in humorous movie
evaluations when audience members can see
one another
– 29 percent of similarity when audience cannot
see one another
Liberalism
• The government should be used to negate any
threat to individual or collective liberty and to
better society
• An individual’s freedom is not more important
than the freedom of all members of society
– the government should infringe on individual rights if
an individual is infringing the rights of others
• Personal advancement is good, as long as it
doesn’t impede the advancement of others
• The good society exists when all people have
the opportunity to pursue individual goals
• The “free market” invariably must be regulated
What’s the difference between
Republicans and Democrats?
One Party Video
Huey Long
Purple America – RRP web site
Sociological Perspective
• The actions of people are both “free” and
“determined” by factors and forces outside
of their control
• Sociologists focus on studying the patterns
of the factors and forces that structure our
life
– We often appear to be “liberal” because we
understand these patterns - and we focus on
them and discuss them and we try to fix them
Gambling
• Sociologists are often liberally-oriented
(i.e., they want to use the government to
fix problems) because we understand how
structure affects people’s lives in ways
they do not understand and cannot control
• For example, gambling
– casinos create addicts
– we know how to curtail gambling addiction
– Should we?
What are the essential questions
for sociologists who study
freedom?
How do the following limit or enable
your own freedom? (think only of
yourself)
• Educational System
• Government
• Family System
CONSERVATISM
1. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
2. REVERENCE FOR TRADITION AND A
DISTRUST OF HUMAN REASON
3. REJECTION OF THE USE OF GOVT. TO
IMPROVE THE HUMAN CONDITION
(AMBIVALENCE REGARDING GOVT.
ACTIVITY)
4. FAVORING INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM
(FROM GOVERNMENT CONTROL)
CONSERVATISM
5. ANTI-EGALITARIAN (DISTRUST OF
HUMAN NATURE BECAUSE HUMANS
ARE SELFISH AND FEAR-BASED)
6. SUPPORT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
7. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
LIBERALISM
1. FAVOR CHANGE
2. POSSESSING FAITH IN HUMAN
REASON
3. BEING WILLING TO USE GOVT. TO
IMPROVE THE HUMAN CONDITION
4. FAVORING INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM
(FROM CORPORATE INTRUSION)
LIBERALISM
5. BEING AMBIVALENT REGARDING
HUMAN NATURE (PEOPLE ARE
BASICALLY GOOD AND PROBLEMS
TEND TO BE A RESULT OF BAD
CIRCUMSTANCES AND NOT THE
“BADNESS” OR SELFISHNESS OF
PEOPLE)