by Lily Seabrooke

Created on: August 18, 2008

If life is what you make it, then it is not pre-determined but is defined by your actions. In this paper I will examine the central principles of Satrean existentialism and hard-determinism; the prior which supports they theory that life is what you make it, the latter which does not. Satrean existentialism, (e.g. atheist, which will henceforth be referred to as existentialism), states that without God, there is no predetermined value or set of ideals on which man can rely. Neither does it accept deterministic scruples, for it rejects the idea of a universal human nature. It argues that man is entirely responsible for his own actions, and through his actions he defines his inherent being. Existentialism also essentially states that you are capable of transcending the situation you are born into, because your actions ultimately create what your life becomes. Alternatively, hard determinism declares that free will is non-existent, that life is determined by human nature and the inevitable acquiescence to the laws of nature. Finally, it is imperative to mention, albeit briefly, the theory of indeterminism, due to the fact that it refutes determinism and the level of responsibility placed on mankind by existentialism.

In order to fully explore the claim that life is what you make it, then we must first define life. In this particular context, life is to be defined as the general or universal condition of human existence1. Secondly, in examining determinism, we must also define causality, which is the principle of or relationship between cause and effect2. This relationship is measured by either a. Necessary conditions, in the absence of which an event never occurs, or b. Sufficient conditions, in the presence of which an event always occurs. Essentially, the underlying principle of determinism is that everything is the result of a previous cause, making freedom incompatible (unless one acted completely without motivation, which, according to Holbach, is impossible). It is necessary to note at this point the difference between determinism and fatalism; that is, determinism does not mean that humans have absolutely no control over the future, but rather, that fate is primarily influenced by past events combined with the laws of nature.

Free will is an essential factor in deciding whether life is or is not pre-determined. According to determinism, man, "...in whatever manner he is considered, he is connected to universal Nature..to the immutable laws that she imposes

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