Biology of Addiction

Read this article from the NIH about the Biology of Addiction. Then write an essay that answers these questions:

1. What would d’Holbach say about the passage above?
2. How would a determinist address the issue of “changes in the brain”?
3. What would a compatibilist or soft-determinist say about the work required in overcoming addiction:
   o Which philosopher would make a distinction between internal and external causes of addiction? (You might also think of this as “nature vs. nurture”)
   o Does having will power relate to free will? Do some people have a “character” or “will” that helps them overcome addiction while others do not?
4. Can you relate the issue of free will to the earlier discussions of the self from Unit 2? Does the issue of addiction relate to the mind, or to the senses, or to memories? Be specific and provide reasons for your position.

Writing Tips

In Philosophy papers, it is very important to include a thesis statement in your first paragraph. A thesis is a statement of the view you will take on the paper topic. For example, do you believe that the d’Holbach view is correct, and becoming addicted is something that is predetermined? Or, do you believe that Richard Taylor is correct and we have total free will? Or is your view in the middle, agreeing with one of the compatibilists like Hospers or Stace?

Philosophy papers often use first person, with “I will argue that…” in the thesis statement. If you are concerned about using first person, use language like “One can conclude that…” or “We will prove that…”
In terms of sources for philosophy papers, you will notice that each unit in our course includes readings by the philosophers in their own words, as well as a set of links to online encyclopedias to help you study. In papers, it is always much better to cite the philosophers’ own words, not the encyclopedias written as guides. Cite the readings in the unit, try not to cite online encyclopedias.
If you are not sure how to cite the readings in the unit, most of the readings have full bibliographic information on the page that opens when you click on them. For example, at the top of the d’Holbach reading, you will see the following that has all the information you need for your citations:
Baron d’Holbach

Excerpts from D’Holbach’s “The System of Nature”, Volumn I of III, Chapter XI: Of the System of Man’s free agency. Released in 2013 in The Project Gutenberg. First published in French in 1770 under the pseudonym of Mirabaud. This e-book based on a facsimile reprint of an English translation originally published 1820-21. This e-text covers the first of the original two volumes. The full book can be downloaded from http://www.gutenberg.org/files/8909/8909-h/8909-h.htm#link2H_4_0018