An Argument for Free Will: The Implications of Ridley's Discussion in "Genome" Margaret Belskis College

“Freedom equals the parts of our natures not determined by our genes.” (Ridley, 302)

Free will is not an illusion. It can be defined in many ways; perhaps the most cohesive of its many definitions would be “an individual's ability to choose or decide on the basis of immediate perception, and without pressing inhibitions”. If not inhibited, man does have free will, as mental disability or disease remains the only true restriction of man’s free will. In instances such as those, genetics certainly come into play, but otherwise, one’s genes do not completely define their actions.

The question of free will is not only disputed within the scientific community but also remains well-debated by students of philosophy. In Genome, author Matt Ridley blends the two factions of genetic determinism and freedom, stating that the idea that behavior is entirely mastered by an individual’s environment is just as deterministic as that of genetic determinism. Philosophers often argue that an individual is created by their surroundings, which include the environment in which they reside and exist in and the other human beings with which they interact. They also contend that free will is a human reality that is closely tied to the philosophical...