Greve 1
Joseph Greve
Dr. Bass
Introduction to Philosophy
20 October 2023
Reflection Assignment 1
In a world where everyone has absolute free will and their subjective truth, it would create an
environment that would be complicated and very hard to predict the outcome. When I was asked this
question, the first thing that came to my mind was religion. If we have free will to believe in what we
believe is the truth about religion or God, which we do in America, there becomes a melting pot of views
and beliefs in which people become very protective of their truth. As a result, we have many options, and
people from these different beliefs try to convince others that their truth is correct. This comes with the
expectation that people will be tolerant and have empathy or some understanding that they have the right
to choose a belief they believe to be accurate, even if this may go against their truth. If people could have
patience and understanding in this environment, it would be healthy to let people have vast knowledge of
how and why their reasons are for their beliefs. Having just one belief with no others to challenge or
question, it would be irresponsible to unquestioningly accept it as accurate.
Another thing that comes to mind is what is their “own truth”? “Well, that depends on what we
mean by ‘truth.’ If the truth is ‘the way things really are,’ then it doesn’t matter how many people know it or
deny it.” (Solomon and Higgins, 34). Sometimes, it does not matter what you believe to be true, even if
you have free will to do so; in some cases, you are wrong. You may have the ability to honestly believe
that Tupac Shakur is still physically alive. However, the fact or truth is that he was pronounced dead by a
professional doctor, and witnesses saw him die. On the other hand, if I believe the Sun moved around the
Earth, but you believe the Earth moved around the Sun to be the truth, it is an argument that would be
necessary. Each side could potentially benefit from hearing each one’s perspective and evidence to
discover the truth.
Greve 2
In summary, having free will and the ability for everyone to have their truth is essential for a
society to learn and have a broader knowledge base. This could only be achieved if people have
patience, tolerance, and a general understanding that even though they disagree with someone’s views
and/or beliefs, they have the right to believe what they want, whether right or wrong. “How you respond to
these difficult questions, your answers reveal a network of beliefs and doctrines that you may have never
articulated before you first found yourself arguing about them.” (Solomon and Higgins, 27). I believe that
free will and our truths are necessary for Philosophy and life.