Defining Free Will By Looking at Different Learning Theories

Is Free will limited by learning processes? Taking a look at two learning theories may give an insight or get us closer to being able to construct an answer to this question. The first learning theory is call Constructivism, "constructivism views learning as a process in which the learner actively constructs or builds new ideas or concepts based upon current and past knowledge". In this definition the learner is able to personalize his / or her knowledge based on there individual experience. In other words "learning involves constructing one's own knowledge from one's own experiences". Constructivist learning, therefore, is a very personal endeavor, whereby internalized concepts, rules, and general principles may consequently be applied in a practical real-world context.

The second learning process is Behaviorism, behaviorism is an educational theory grounded on the seminal works of Thorndike, B.F Skinner and Ivan Pavlov, both scientists well known for their studies in animal behavior. Behaviorists believe that organisms need reinforcements to keep them interested and that the use of stimuli can be very effective in controlling behavior. For the behaviorist, environment directly shapes behavior, and complex learning requires a series of small, progressive steps. The behaviorist theory of education is probably by far the most commonly practiced because behavior can be easily viewed and therefore measured. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_theories)

Constructivism and Behaviorism both seem to factors that contribute to the product of our knowledge, insight, values, or rules that we establish to carry us through our everyday experience. However, it seems that in order for us to know how to deal with a particular situation we first have had a similar experience to the one we are dealing with. Therefore, when we face a situation or stimuli for the first time, we are actually using prior knowledge to come of with a desirable outcome. When we think of “desirable” we seem be comparing something we know is not as desirable to something we know that we desire. These processes of comparison suggest that the perception about desired and undesired is a learned experience, and therefore, is knowledge. However, where we acquired this knowledge about our desires is important in determine whether or not we make our decisions with free will or if there are limitations to this will based on how we perceived the experience that we are confronted with.


To Be Continued…