In the event that memories can be interchanged between two people, where does the responsibility for the past actions of these individuals fall? If Henry, a murderer, and Hank, an upright citizen, were effected by some sort of theta ray that converted the record and memory of past experiences from one to the other it is difficult to conclude with who the guilt of the murder lays. The definition of hard determinism, along with the definition of guilt and studies and theories of philosopher Paul Heinrich Dietrich, prove that Hank, the current possessor of Henry's memories, is not guilty of Henry's crime.
Guilty, by definition, means to be culpable and deserving of blame. Guilt implies a sense of responsibility. Responsibility entails that one is accountable for their actions. How can one be accountable for actions that he or she never committed? How can one be responsible for actions that were committed by a total stranger? Can the guilt of murder justly be pinned on one who did not have any relation to let alone commit the crime? In this situation, Hank now has the memories of the past experiences of Henry. Although Hank is now the current possessor of Henry's memories, he is not guilty of Henry's crime. Henry was in fact the one that committed the murder. If Hank and Henry were not affected by the theta rays, Henry would have been responsible for the crime. The memories of the past that Henry possesses do not determine guilt. Therefore a memory of murder does not make Hank actually guilty of the murder. The previous actions of Henry determine that he is guilty. .
If the argument for hard determinism is brought forth, from the premise that all of our actions are caused, one can conclude that we are not free. The philosophical theory of causal determinism states that all events, including moral choices, are completely determined by previously existing causes. These causes preclude free will and the possibility that humans could have acted otherwise.