Free will is the ability to choose a course of action from among various alternatives; for example, one can choose to follow the law or violate the law—both are examples of free will.
Determinism is the claim that all actions are predetermined by prior causes; for example, a computer may seem intelligent but is predetermined by programming.
Answer the following questions as a trial attorney defending or prosecuting Aileen Wuornos on the charges of murder. Read the fact sheet attached to the presocratic reading handout for details about her life and crimes.
1. As a defense attorney, how might you defend Wuornos’s innocence on the charge of murder by appealing to determinism? Explain all the factors in the defendant’s life that prevented her from acting freely when committing the crime.
2. As a prosecutor, how would you appeal to “free will” to explain the defendant’s guilt and responsibility for her actions? (You must address the arguments that you raised as a defense lawyer above.)