The Roles of Determinism and Indeterminism on Ethical Behavior
Determinism and indeterminism are known to be taught beliefs by churches, political parties, or other groups about the nature of reality. Determinism is the doctrine that all events, whether past, future, or present, are determined to take place the way they do (Kraal, 2013). It suggests that all decisions and events that take place worldwide are inevitable and that people couldn’t have acted differently or made a different decision. They also say that thinking the outcome would have changed is false, meaning that even under certain different conditions, the result or outcome would still be the same. On the other hand, indeterminism is the opposite of determinism, suggesting that causes do not determine actions or events and that people are free.
Similarities and Differences between Determinism and Indeterminism
There are several similarities between these two, including that they both occur after decisions individuals make, regardless of whether the results depend on previous actions. They are also influenced by human behavior and the morals, values, and beliefs one has. Determinism and indeterminism have several differences, one being that in determinism, every action or event is preceded by a cause. In contrast, indeterminism does not depend on actions but is more like free will.
Another difference is that determinism has four types: hard determinism, which is highly incompatible with free will, and free will does not exist. Secondly, soft determinism supports determinism but also has a bit of free will that one expresses when caused by one’s desires in the absence of external constraints (“Queensborough Community College,” 2022). Biological determinism suggests that human characteristics are based on genetics and factors passed on from parents or relatives. Environmental determinism is a belief that states physical factors such as climate or landscapes determine human cultures and decisions. Lastly, Psychic determinism suggests that unconscious fears, desires, or traumatic events determine decisions. Fourthly, strict determinists do not believe in free will, for they believe people’s past events will determine their future actions. In contrast, indeterminism does not have similar distinguishable types.
The Influence of Determinism and Indeterminism on the Behavior of Law Enforcement Personnel
Determinism and indeterminism can influence the behavior of law enforcement personnel in different ways. Whether moral or immoral, behavior can be influenced by determinism and indeterminism. For law enforcement, moral behavior and conduct are mandated, pointing to moral responsibility; with this in mind, the laws, rules, and regulations are to be followed; if not, there are consequences, including specific punishments.
If determinism is true, it means an individual is not free. If indeterminism is true, it means the individual has elapsed their control to be morally responsible, and actions are random. Therefore, determinism negatively impacts law enforcement personnel’s ethical behavior because it undermines their morality by positioning that a personnel’s behavior is not caused by free will. This position illustrates that the personnel or other people they interact with, including criminals, lack free will (Moore, 2016), which is an essential factor or trait in law enforcement. For instance, a law enforcement personnel’s interaction and behavior towards a person with a mental disability committing an unlawful act will be influenced by determinism.
In contrast, indeterminism establishes that all people have free will, positively affecting law enforcement personnel’s ethical behavior. Accordingly, an action, be it moral, immoral, legal, illegal, ethical, or unethical, is tied to the decision to conduct oneself in the given manner. Therefore, individuals unlawfully conducting themselves can be held responsible for their actions, such as deliberate actions such as murder or arson. In this case, the law enforcement personnel’s behavior is influenced by indeterminism.
Influences of Determinism and Indeterminism
Further, some factors influence determinism and indeterminism and how people may act depending on the two. The first influence is environmental factors in that the environment, whether social or surroundings, influences how people think and feel. People can feel threatened or calm by their environment and, in return, influence determinism. For instance, when someone is attacked by a thief threatening to kill them, if they do not surrender their belonging, depending on their environment, they can either scream, run away, call for help, or fight back in self-defense. In this situation, the victim can panic and act out of free will by doing any of the solutions described above depending on what will make them feel safe and justifies how Strawson denounced indeterminism assumption as obscure and panicky metaphysics (Müller, Rumberg & Wagner, 2018).
An additional factor is an individual’s personality. Everyone has different personality traits and cognitive factors that affect performance and learning, such as memory, attention, and reasoning (“Welcome to eCommons, the institutional repository at the University of Dayton,” 2022). These not only affect students but adults as well, especially in working situations. Personality influences determinism and indeterminism by people behaving or acting based on their expectations, beliefs, and other personality traits. For instance, a high-tempered person who gets angry quickly may act rapidly over an action they may regret later.
Additionally, training influences determinism and indeterminism. Training may involve individualistic modification, including their behavior. Therefore, causing modification will improve people’s analytical capability and judging skills, affecting their actions and behavior. With training, people know how to respond to certain situations and can also prevent effects on health like determinism, as actions are caused by the environment, leading to heart disease and general human performance.
Actions That Police Leadership Could Undertake to Influence Determinism And Indeterminism of Employees Positively
Finally, the relationship between leaders and employees impacts employee behavior. Therefore, police leadership can undertake several actions that can positively influence the determinism and indeterminism of employees. These actions include strictness, open interaction, and role modeling, among others (Huberts et al., 2007). Strictness may involve punishments for unethical behavior to influence indeterminism. This is an excellent way to show that one’s actions have consequences and will also make employees think of the choices they make and the consequences they could face afterward.
Open interaction and role modeling involve the police leadership ethically conducting themselves, holding interactive talks or guidance and counseling activities that can help people improve their personality traits by advising and counseling as well as helping to control anger issues or any other mental issues that can lead to negative results of determinism and indeterminism. In conclusion, determinism and indeterminism are both essential parts of daily life through the choices people make, and it is essential to use them wisely and accordingly for the good of their lives.
References
Huberts, L., Kaptein, M., & Lasthuizen, K. (2007). A study of the impact of three leadership styles on integrity violations committed by police officers. Policing: An International Journal Of Police Strategies & Management, 30(4), 587-607. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639510710833884
Kraal, A. (2013). Determinism and Indeterminism. Encyclopedia Of Sciences And Religions, 617-624. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4020-8265-8_1540
Moore, J., 2016. Criminal Responsibility and Causal Determinism. [online] Washington University Open Scholarship. Retrieved 18 September 2022, http://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_jurisprudence/vol9/iss1/6
Müller, T., Rumberg, A., & Wagner, V. (2018). An introduction to real possibilities, indeterminism, and free will: three contingencies of the debate. Synthese, 196(1), 1-10. doi: 10.1007/s11229-018-1842-4
Queensborough Community College. (2022). Retrieved 18 September 2022, from https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/
Welcome to eCommons, the institutional repository at the University of Dayton. (2022). Retrieved 18 September 2022, from https://ecommons.udayton.edu/
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Question
Few would argue that law enforcement personnel are expected to have and demonstrate superior ethical values. Yet, experience tells us that humans, regardless of their intentions and the public’s expectations, can succumb to human frailties. Research identifies a series of theories regarding human behavior relative to morals, ethics, and values. Utilizing the information provided for this module and your research, explore the roles of determinism and indeterminism and their influence on ethical behavior.
In your paper,
Explain determinism and indeterminism.
Discuss how determinism and indeterminism are similar.
Discuss how determinism and indeterminism differ.
Describe how determinism and indeterminism might influence the behavior of law enforcement personnel.
Explain training or other influences that could impact determinism and indeterminism.
Describe actions that police leadership could undertake to control for and positively influence the determinism and indeterminism of employees.
The Roles of Determinism and Indeterminism on Ethical Behavior paper