Attack On (ALT)

Question 1

(ALT)

Answer 1

Necessarily, if either it is not at T within S’s power to avoid doing A at T, or it is not at T within S’s power to avoid doing not-A at T, then S’s doing A or not-A at T is not free

Question 2

Three characteristics of a Frankfurt Case

Answer 2

1) It has to be a possible case
2) The character acts freely
3) The character in the case can not do otherwise

Question 3

Why are Frankfurt Cases objections to (ALT)?

Answer 3

A Frankfurt Case is an objection to (ALT) because it attempts to show an instance where S’s doing A at T is free while it is not at T within S’s power to avoid doing A at T.

Question 4

Eli and the Demon

Answer 4

1) Eli freely killed his neighbor before midnight.
2) If Eli hadn’t decided to kill his neighbor by midnight, a demon would have possessed him and Eli would have killed his neighbor.

Question 5

On Eli’s killing being an act token.

Answer 5

3- Eli freely killed his neighbor. The phrase “kill his neighbor” refers to a particular event that Eli performed, an act token that is hereby named K.
- Eli’s event is an act-token. There is a particular thing that Eli did. The act-token falls under the event type of killing his neighbor. However, the particular act token is what he did freely.

Question 6

Layout

Answer 6

1. (ALT)
2. 3 characteristics of a Frankfurt Case
3. Why Frankfurt cases are an objection to (ALT)
4. Eli and the Demon
5. On Eli’s killing being an act token. (K)
6. Revised 3rd characteristic of a Frankfurt Case
7. On the demon possession being a different act token (K*)
8. The essentialist principle

Question 7

Revised 3rd characteristic of a Frankfurt Case

Answer 7

Because it has been established that Eli’s free killing was an act token, we must revise the 3rd characteristic into: “You’re free only if you can do otherwise than a particular (token)”

Question 8

On the demon possession being a different act token (K*)

Answer 8

• What would have happened if (contrary to the way the story was actually told) Eli changed is mind?
• The demon would have possessed him and made him kill his neighbor (hereby named K*)

Question 9

The essentialist principle

Answer 9

“Events have their casual histories as essential features”

According to the essentialist principle, K and K* are not the same event - even though they are the same event type.