People’s behavior is largely determined by forces not of their making.

Ethics and morality play a significant role in nurturing a  society.  However,  one may often encounter unacceptable or even criminal behaviors from  some members of the society.  Are we responsible for our own actions? Or are actions mostly  governed by external forces? I would favor the former approach , as  I believe that people are  accountable for their own actions except in certain circumstances. Let me illustrate this with a few examples.

Imagine a scenario when two teenagers get into fight over, say over the best cell phone in the market, and one beats up the other when they disagree. Clearly the person who couldn’t control his anger when he had a disagreement is at fault.  Healthy humans do have the mental faculties required to control their emotions, to  recognize what is unacceptable behavior in the society they live, and to realize what actions or behaviors could harm others. Would the case be different when the perpetrator of violence is under the influence of drugs of abuse? I do not think so. He is responsible for his actions, as again the choice to be on illicit drugs for recreational purposes was his own decision.  Many recreational drugs have addictive potential and can alter your normal behavior, but again there are almost always ways to get out of the drug habit, even if it involves getting  into detoxification program.

Let us consider a different scenario.  Good students who are motivated to do well in school may put in a lot of effort in their school work,  study hard for their tests, succeed in college and get a well paying job. On the other hand, there are students who would waste their time, showing no meaningful interest in the studies and they may remain unemployed.  The guidance of parents and teachers do play a significant role in nurturing a student’s interest in academics. Also students with educated parents, the ones with a higher socioeconomic status, the ones with a stable family situation may find a more conducive environment to learn when compared to students with a lower socioeconomic standards and  the students from broken families. However, these factors cannot be given as an excuse for poor performance in academic settings as most of us  have the choice to put in more effort, to  make a decision for a better future for ourselves. The rise of Obama to level of the President of USA, despit him being the only son of a teenage single mother is a case in point.

There are certain instances where an in individual cannot be held responsible for his or her actions. Little children who do not know the difference between right and wrong may not always be expected to act appropriately under all circumstances.  Individuals with psychiatric disorders, not under treatment could have delusions and hallucinations which make them behave in an illogical manner. The altered brain chemistry in such a setting may make them do things , many of them inappropriate or sometimes criminal. They may not be held responsible for their actions.

In summary, I believe that our actions are  largely determined by the choices we make; though external forces may influence our choice, we should be  held accountable for our deeds except under exceptional circumstances.