Are HUman Actions Free or Determined?

Are Human Actions Free or Determined?
By: Sarah Luttrell


For many years, modern philosophers have wrestled with a number of various issues. Whether they were rationalists or empiricists, every philosopher still had to face three of the most important issues that are commonly referred to as metaphysics proper. While the questions of God’s existence and whether or not the soul is immortal are two of the most popular topics, it is the question of whether or not human actions are free or determined, that not only sparked my interest, but also the interest of John Locke and Gottfried Leibniz.
While they were two of the most respected people in modern philosophy, they practiced completely different styles of philosophy. Gottfried Leibniz’s works are done through the rationalistic view, while John Locke takes the “sense-loving” empiricist route. Since these two men do support opposing styles of philosophy, it is obvious that they do not share the same ideas abou...