compatibilism

Question 1

what is compatibilism

Answer 1

• universe has law and order, past determines future
• soft determinism is similar
• if a statement is self determined, it is a free action
• still determined but self determined

Question 2

what is a frankfurt case

Answer 2

• agent can be morally responsible for what he does even if there isnt any other option
• principle of alternative possibilities: no other way to do/choose otherwise
• frankfurt case: still have responsibility even if this is the case
• internal factors vs external factors –> can they be separated

Question 3

what does patricia churchland propose about freedom

Answer 3

• cant help but hold people accountable as we are social animals
• we want to naturally praise or blame people
• freedom is determined by how much control someone has over their choice –> more freedom more responsibility

Question 4

internal and external causes which determine actions

Answer 4

• internal: voluntary action, free will enacting desires
• external: involuntary actions, compulsion + opposes desires
• compatibilism draws difference between actions determined by personalities (free) and those caused by external causes

Question 5

Mcadoo’s compatibilism as a criticism of Hume

Answer 5

• some elements are determined and we are determined by external actions
• we are however free to act on desires, or not act on them

Question 6

strengths of compatibilism

Answer 6

1. realistic: can observe limitations on ourselves
2. churchland: moral responsibility is allowed, concerning control
   - situational: more applicable to different situations as you can judge levels of control in each case
3. compatible with science: empirical data
4. bridges gap between Determinism and Libertarianism
5. links to religion and God determinism, but also giving us free will
6. Buddhism and free will –> karma determined but this is given meaning through free will

Question 7

weaknesses of compatibilism

Answer 7

• mix: not clear which points of our lives are determined –> which parts are we morally responsible
• changes definition of freedom to control?

Question 8

john locke on compatibilism

Answer 8

• sleeping man in locked room
• thinks he is free but does not try to leave and realise he is not
• this is how we live our lives

Question 9

Examine the approaches of libertarianism and hard determinism to freewill 10 marks

Answer 9

• Libertarianism - freewill exists so we are own moral agents
• It is incompatible with hard determinism - as freewill cannot exist in a deterministic world
• Moral responsibility over our actions which works with the legal system
• Principle of alternate possibilities
• Moderate libertarianism takes into account the determinist world but still allows for freewill
• Descartes it is the greatest perfection in man and Hume says it is the power of acting or not acting
• Liberty of spontaneity and indifference
• HD - no freewill and governed by predetermined factors such as biological, psychological or environmental.
• No moral responsibility
• Compatible with God’s omniscience

Pick one or two of the 3 types to write about
- Theological determinism - omniscient God so no freewill. Predestination - determined whether we are going to heaven or hell as the damned or elect as proposed by John Calvin
- Scientific determinism - principle of universal causation, that all events are caused by antecedent events.
psychological determinism - Freud says behaviour is determined by repressed memories of childhood experiences.
- Skinner and Pavlov talk about operant conditioning - so it is a behavioural responses.

Question 10

‘Freewill is necessary for making ethical choices.’ 15 marks

Answer 10

Duck - Freewill comes with moral responsibility with the views of libertarianism that nothing is impacting the ethical choices you make

Bullet - Still have a sense of moral responsibility with Freud’s views on psychological determinism as it is influenced by parents but still can make an ethical choice

Vet - duck is stronger because it is the parental influence so not truly making ethical choices and the parents’ values maybe faulty

Duck - Some ethical theories require you to have freewill such as VE - you need moral autonomy similarly with Kant

Bullet - theological determinism already knows what choices you are going to make but you are still making an ethical decision

Vet - theological determinism requires you to believe in God but to make ethical choices you need the freedom away from God - secular views

Other points

Bullet - ethical choices are an illusion - John Locke - everything is determined

Vet - believe our experiences of freewill otherwise undermines all other empirical evidence. Cannot be held responsible for making any decisions without freewill.