Determinism and Free Will

Determinism is the idea that every event or action, including human choices, is the result of preceding causes, meaning everything is preordained. In contrast, free will suggests that individuals can make choices independent of those causal influences. In metaphysics, this raises questions about the nature of reality and consciousness. Regarding substance and essence, it probes what it means to be human—are we merely driven by biology and environment, or do we possess an intrinsic ability to choose? In the philosophy of probability, these concepts explore how uncertain outcomes relate to deterministic laws versus human agency in decision-making.