Holbach's Opposition To Free Will

Holbach is a staunch supporter of determinism, and in complete opposition to free will, as his beliefs are at absolute odds with free will
Holbach states that man is constantly being modified by causes that may or may not be apparent to the individual, of which he has no control over, and it is these causes that affect him, by which control every aspect of his being. And in spite of the that which confines him, a man may be delusional in thinking that he has free will. Holbach describes will as being a modification of the brain, resulting from which is the individual's inclination towards action. Will is a result of qualities of the object or motive that acts upon his senses, or the idea of which he draws from memory, and is reminded of. Consequently, his actions are a result of the impulses received from the reason to act, which resulted from the object, or from the idea of the object, which changed our brain, or made him inclined to enact his will. When one acts contrary to their will, it is because a new cause, motive, or idea has given him a new impulse, and such changes his brain, and made him more inclined to the action as this new thing more powerfully attracts him, or the old one is now made undesirable, …show more content…
All the things a man desires are developed from the environment he occupies, and dictate his actions thusly. Man’s actions are never free, as they are a necessary consequence of habits contracted from their environment, that being their temperament. Being in the position to choose does not prove free will. If a man is able to choose between two options in order to prove his will, his desire to prove his free will is the necessary motive which informs his will, the action he actually takes will be decided by what his temperament makes him more inclined to