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Question: What is the role of free will in education?
James’s (1962) chapter of will was written with a view to education, psychology, and philosophy. After a serious discussion in which pupils were described as “behaving organism” (p. 11) and “associating machinery,” (p. 41) James clarified his belief in free will. According to James, the exercise of active will may only account for a small part of people’s lives; most of that time is at the beginning of a sequence of habitual reactions, which control the direction of future activities. James stated that people’s action of voluntary attention (a representative of will) is “brief and fitful”, but “momentous and critical” in establishing our “higher or lower destinies” (p. 92).
James categorized our will into two different types: impulsions and inhibitions. Impulsions force us to take action, while inhibitions prevent us from taking action. The tension between impulsions and inhibitions determine whether action will be taken or not. The relationship between impulsions and inhibitions is similar to the one between id and superego. However, it is difficult to say which type is preferred, because the relative position of impulsions and inhibitions depend upon the action people are considering. One example is a child who likes her friend’s doll and desires to own it. Her impulsion to take the doll without permission is not a desirable one, so she needs to use her moral judgment inhibition, which communicates that her desires are wrong. In this example, the inhibition of the child is preferred in our culture. An opposite example is a child who plans to finish homework on time and gain a good grade, but discovers the homework to be too difficult. The impulsion message is to conquer the difficulties; the inhibitions persuade the child to give up. In the latter case, the impulsion of the child is more desirable.
These two cases are reminiscent of another theory which has a similar idea as James’s concept of will - the conflict theory of Kurt Zadek Lewin. In Lewin’s (1935) theory, the combinations of approach and avoidance, which serve as two key elements, categorize conflict into different types. The conflicts between impulsion and inhibition, id and superego, approach and avoidance serve as agents to motivate people. Understanding James’s thoughts about free will may help teachers find effective ways to motivate their students.
Early in the instructional process, teachers need to provide sufficient and associated information to students, so that students receive “stocks of ideas … [to] furnish them” (p. 91). The main purpose of this step is help students understand that they have many choices and opportunities, which distinguishes James’s beliefs on education from fatalists’. By molding students with “the notion of good,” (p. 94) students find the “right conception” (p. 90). There is no absolute rule to determine right or wrong, especially in the area of moral education, so “the notion of good” (p. 94) is a sufficient guideline in moral education. Once students make positive choices, the main task of teachers is to develop students’ voluntary attention to maintain their interest and engagement, which involves effort from both teachers and students. Maintaining positive habits in students, such as telling the truth, respecting other people, and learning with effort, is another challenging job for teachers. James concluded that a teacher’s task is “to build up a character in your pupil” (p. 90). The will of students is a relatively influential component in the search for positive choices and for holding voluntary attention. Instead of fully supporting James’s opinion that building children’s character is a teachers’ task, I believe that character development is a complicated process that requires effort from children, parents, teachers, and their communities.
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