Determinism

We like to think that we can change who we are, that our actions and experiences shape us who we are, but what if we are already coded to be someone? One such philosophy is described by determinism.



Determinism is the philosophical proposition that all events are caused by a number of actions and their effects that are contiguous and linked together. It precludes free will and the possibility that humans could have acted otherwise. Determinists believe that everything is already predetermined and no one and nothing can change anything in this scheme.

The deterministic theorem can be found in the biological approach in psychology. This approach concentrates on the structure of the brain and how it influences our personality and behaviour, our likes and dislikes. Thus connecting it with determinism, we can assume that humans (like all animals) are led by their brains and have no impact on their personality.

To sum up, the biological approach proposes a very deterministic view of human psychology. It shows us that in fact our personality cannot be affected by us, but has been inscribed into our brains already in the prenatal state. It is true that nurture can evoke minor changes in one’s behaviour, but the main template of our psyche, shaped by nature, remains unchanged.

Well, I think that it is the other way round: we have minor presets in our brains determined by our DNA, but we are shaped by our surroundings from a very early age. I'd say that we are not born already with a particular personality, but we do make it based on what we see around us. Then, in our adulthood, it truly is difficult to change who you are, but not because of your brain structure, but because of who you have become and what you learned to believe.