“Freedom equals those parts of our nature that are not determined by our genes. » (Ridley, 302)Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayFree will is not an illusion. It can be defined in several ways; Perhaps the most consistent 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 indeed possess free will, for disability or mental illness remains the only real restriction on man's free will. In such cases, genetics certainly come into play, but otherwise a person's genes do not completely define their actions. The question of free will is not only controversial within the scientific community, but also remains hotly debated among students of philosophy. In Genome, author Matt Ridley mixes the two factions of genetic determinism and freedom, arguing 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 or her environment, which includes the environment in which he or she resides and exists, as well as the other human beings with whom he or she interacts. They also argue that free will is a human reality closely related to the philosophical concepts of free action and moral responsibility. These philosophers' idea that the environment influences an individual's personality has proven to be valid. However, the idea that people may be genetically predisposed to certain personality traits may be just as valid. “It did not occur to him that he was applying double standards: demanding rigorous proof of genetic explanations of behavior while readily accepting social explanations. » (Ridley, 303) Several studies have shown that an affinity for violence or impulsivity could be linked to specific genes. One of these studies, led by Dean Hamer, favors 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 D4DR is activated in some parts of the brain, but not others. Dopamine is, in essence, a stimulating chemical, meaning that its lack will make an individual lethargic or immobile, while too much can cause schizophrenia, for example. “We instinctively assume that body biochemistry is because behavior is affected.” (153). Some may believe this wholeheartedly, but Hamer's results proved that only four percent of this behavior is due to the D4DR gene. Thirty-six percent of behavior is hereditary, and the remaining sixty percent is considered to be caused by an individual's environment. Therefore, a combination of genetic predispositions and environmental factors may be considered responsible for a person's adventurous qualities, but they may also simply choose to take risks based on these characteristics. The fact that it excites them or gives them pleasure. Another variable that can contribute to personality and mental chemistry is diet, specifically lower cholesterol leads to lower serotonin levels, which can possibly indicate depression or violent desires. 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 humans have free will. Of course humans follow a pattern, everything in nature follows a pattern, from flower petals to the shell of a snail and the migration of geese. Patterns are found everywhere in nature. This does not mean, however, that we have free will. I am able to make choices every day. Even though my choices might be predictable if observed over a long period of time, that doesn't take away from the fact that it is my choice. For example, I can choose to buy chips every day for lunch. Observed over a long period of time, I am predictable. However, if I buy them every day, it is my choice and it does not take away my free will. I can choose not to buy the chips. I am not obligated by society or my genes to buy chips. If I ever decide to buy a cookie instead of chips, that's my choice. It may seem that my choice is limited by my surroundings, which would, at present, be a school lunch kiosk. There are only so many snack options available. However, this limitation is an illusion imposed by routine, since I do not need to buy a snack at school at all. I don't need to eat a snack either, but if I want I can also take something from home. I have a wide range of choices and I must choose to do something, even if that something consists of doing nothing. If I think about the future, I might even buy strawberries the day 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 of what to eat depends solely on how I eat, whether it's healthy, cheap, or just readily available. A point often made that relates to the question of whether or not we have free will. Hume's Fork as 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, Hume's first argument is poorly supported and unclear: our actions are not predetermined. We are humans, we think consciously and we are responsible for the consequences of each of our actions. In fact, we are faced with infinite choices every day, all leading down different paths, leading to more choices, in an eternal cycle. We choose to act, which results in consequences that might lead to other choices later. Additionally, the idea that an individual's actions are caused by random events is laughable. Of course, an individual's environment depends on chance and is certainly the result of random events. A person cannot change the circumstances into which he or she was born. However, how an individual reacts to this environment is entirely up to them. What some consider destiny is the result of each person's exercise of free will and the impact of these choices on each person's choices. “Simple introspection tells me that there is nothing I can't stop doing. Nor does anything say that I must do one thing and not something else. (Ridley, 302)Each person is born into a different environment that shapes them and offers them an infinite variety of options. "Yet even.