“Freedom equates to the parts of our nature not determined by our genes.” (Ridley, 302) Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayFree will is not an illusion. It can be defined in many ways; perhaps the most coherent of its numerous definitions would be “an individual's ability to choose or decide on the basis of immediate perception and without pressing inhibitions”. If uninhibited, man possesses free will, as mental disability or disease remains the only true limitation of man's free will. In cases like these, genetics definitely comes into play, but otherwise genes don't completely define their actions. The question of free will is not only debated within the scientific community, but remains widely debated by philosophy students as well. In Genome, author Matt Ridley conflates the two camps of genetic determinism and freedom, asserting that the idea that behavior is entirely controlled by an individual's environment is just as deterministic as that of genetic determinism. Philosophers often argue that an individual is created by his surroundings, which includes the environment in which he resides and exists and the other humans with whom he interacts. They also argue that free will is a human reality closely linked to the philosophical concepts of free action and moral responsibility. The idea of ​​these philosophers about the environmental influence on the personality of an individual turned out to be valid. However, the idea that people may be genetically predisposed to particular personality traits has the potential to hold the same validity. “It did not occur to him that he was applying a double standard: demanding rigorous evidence for genetic explanations of behavior and easily accepting social ones.” (Ridley, 303) Several studies have shown that an affinity for violence or impulsivity could be linked to specific genes. One such study, conducted by Dean Hamer, promotes the correlation of the D4DR gene with what is described as novelty-seeking behavior, which could be said to too often coincide with the impulsive nature of a specific individual. On chromosome 11, the gene forms a dopamine receptor, and the D4DR is activated in some parts of the brain, but not others. Dopamine is, in essence, a stimulant chemical, meaning that its lack will make an individual lethargic or immobile while excess can cause, for example, schizophrenia. “We instinctively assume that body biochemistry is due to behavior being influenced.” (153). Some may believe this wholeheartedly, but Hamer's results showed that only 4% of such behavior is due to the D4DR gene. Thirty-six percent of behavior is heritable, and the remaining sixty percent is considered to be caused by an individual's environment. Therefore, a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors may be held responsible for a person's adventurous qualities, but they may also simply choose to take risks based on the qualities. fact that excites them or gives them pleasure. Another variable that can contribute to personality and mental chemistry is diet, particularly cholesterol intake. Lower cholesterol levels lead to lower serotonin levels, which can possibly indicate depression or violent desires. Ridley makes the point that “human behavior is, therefore, unpredictable in the short term, but largely predictable in the long term.” (Ridley, 312) This is true and also recognizes the fact that human beings have free will. Sure, heHuman beings follow a pattern, everything in nature follows a pattern, from flower petals to the shell of a snail to the migration of geese. Patterns are found everywhere in nature. This does not mean at all that we have free will. I am able to make choices every day. Even though, when observed over a long period of time, my choices might be predictable, that doesn't take away the fact that it is my choice. For example, I can choose to buy chips for lunch every day. Observed for a long time, I am predictable. However, if I buy them every day, it is my choice and that does not take away my free will. I can choose not to buy chips. I am not forced by society or my genes to buy chips. If one day I decide to buy a biscuit instead of chips, it will be my choice. It might seem like my choice is limited by my environment, which at that moment would be a school lunch kiosk. There are only a certain number of snack options available. However, this limitation is an illusion imposed by routine, since I absolutely do not have to buy a snack at school. I don't have to eat a snack either, but I can also bring something from home if I want. I have a wide range of choices and I must choose to do something, even if that something is to do nothing. If I think about the future, I might even buy the strawberries the night before and package them to take to school." We call these differences personality, a word that means more than just character. It means the innate and individual element of character.” (161) The decision about what to eat depends entirely on how I eat, whether it is healthy, cheap, or simply readily available. A point that is often made that relates to the question of whether or not we have uses of free will Hume's Fork as a support. Hume's fork states that "either our actions are determined, in which case we are not responsible for them, or they are the result of random events, in which case we are not responsible for them." By whom are our choices determined if not by ourselves? It should be clear that if our choices are determined by us, then we are responsible for them. Therefore, the first point made by Hume is poorly supported and unclear. Our actions are not predetermined. We are human beings, we think consciously and are responsible for the consequences of each of our actions. Every day, in fact, we are faced with infinite choices, which all lead down different paths, which lead to more choices, in an eternal cycle. We choose to take actions, which result in consequences, which may lead to other choices later. Furthermore, the idea that an individual's actions are caused by random events is ridiculous. Of course, an individual's environment depends on chance and is certainly the result of random events. A person cannot help the circumstances into which he was born. However, how an individual reacts to this environment is entirely up to him. What some consider destiny is the result of everyone's exercise of free will and the impact of those choices on the choices of everyone else. “Simple introspection tells me there is nothing I can't help but do. Likewise there is nothing that says I have to do one thing and not something else.” (Ridley, 302) Each person is born into a different environment that shapes them and gives them an infinite variety of options. “Yet, even after these discoveries, the environment is still extremely important – probably more important in total than genes in almost all behaviors.” (Ridley, 306) This environment is influenced by the choices of previous humans, certainly, and by the circumstances in which humanity exists. The choices humanity has made before have had consequences that affect humanity now. However, the way.