Metaphysics: The Problem of Free Will
Metaphysics: The Problem of Free Will
Metaphysics: The Problem of Free Will
Problem
METAPHYSICS of Free
Will
WHAT IS FREEDOM?
Causal determinism*
Theological determinism
Psychological determinism
Sociological determinism
Biological determinism
Environmental determinism
COMPATIBILIT Y?
Libertarians believe
a) We do have free will
b) Free will is not compatible with determinism
c) Determinism is therefore false
COMPATIBILISM
Support?
HARD DETERMINISM
Problems:
How can the HD explain our behaviour of praising and blaming
agents for their actions, and ascribing responsibility?
What happens to morality? If nobody can ever ‘do otherwise’
than they in fact do, then notions of responsibility, desert,
praise, and blame are redundant.
SOFT DETERMINISM
(COMPATIBILISM)
a) Determinism is true
b) Free will exists
c) There is no tension between these claims
If some people see a tension here, it is because they are
misunderstanding the notions of freedom and determinism,
of ‘free-choice’ and ‘causal necessity’
CHALLENGE FOR THE
COMPATIBILIST:
Incompatibilists say:
For our actions to be free, it must be the case that, when we act,
we could do otherwise than we actually do
To say one ‘could have done otherwise’ is to say that one would
have done otherwise had things been different (given a
different set of beliefs, desires, etc.)
[classical compatibilist response]
COMPATIBILIST RESPONSES:
Support?
Criticism?
LIBERTARIAN (FREE WILL)
POSITION
More serious problem:
If determinism is false, then events are not subject to chain of
cause-and-effect
So events occur randomly, by chance (indeterminism)
If events occur by chance, then they are not under our control
So, how can we be free and responsible?
LIBERTARIAN (FREE WILL)
POSITION
This is known as the “ Intelligibility Question” - how do we
make sense of a non-determined free will?
3 common responses:
Agent-causal theory (self-determination)
Simple indeterminism
Causal indeterminism