The conflict between free will and determinism has always had a profound affect on the human condition in our society. Many philosophers have argued over this topic for years, coming up with different conclusions. Some firmly believe that we have been shaped by our genetics and our environment while some support free will and believe that we are not determined at all. Some people believe in a notion, which falls somewhere in between free will and determinism. So this leads us to our main question – are we genetically determined? Some may agree – some may not, depending on various reasons such as ethics, logic, culture, religion, values etc. But before we answer that, we should ask ourselves if we're determined at all? In order to answer that, we should first try to understand the concept of free will and determinism, which will be done in the following paragraphs. I believe in determinism but not to the extent that genes determine our behavior. I also believe that we are morally responsible for our actions. Hence that makes me a 'soft determinist'- which I will describe in the following paragraphs. I based the rejection of genetic determination on three reasons; genes cannot determine an individual's actions, environment plays an important role in determining and influencing our behavior; and determinism is, to some extent, a flawed theory, which more or less arises from religion.
             Determinism, a philosophical doctrine against freedom, is the theory that all events are caused or determined by antecedent conditions. Whatever happens is caused to happen by previous facts. Nothing happens by 'mere chance'. Everything is predetermined. However, many philosophers and religious thinkers claim that not all human actions and decisions are causally determined. It conflicts with our ordinary understanding of the ability to choose or make decisions. Determinism means that people do not...