Free Will

Question 1

What are the 4 modern accounts of the free will problem?

Answer 1

1. Libertarianism
2. Hard determinism
3. Compatibilism
4. Impossibilism

Question 2

What is intentional agency?

Answer 2

You will make certain choices depending on your beliefs/desires/intentions.

Question 3

What is open future?

Answer 3

The past is fixed, but many different futures are possible.

Question 4

What is ultimate responsibility?

Answer 4

Actions can be influenced but not determined.

Question 5

What is libertarianism?

Answer 5

The rejection of determinism.

Most things in the universe are determined, but not our decisions.

Question 6

What is hard determinism?

Answer 6

Accepting determinism, but rejecting free will.

We know that physical laws explain causality in the universe and we can’t change the past (so we must have no free will).

Question 7

What is compatibilism?

Answer 7

Accepting determinism AND free will.

Free actions are done voluntarily, caused by internal states (eg. desires/intentions).

Determined actions are forced upon us
(eg. at gunpoint).

Question 8

What is impossibilism?

Answer 8

Even if determinism is false, free will is impossible.

The argument should be determinism vs randomness.

Question 9

What is incompatibilism?

Answer 9

The idea that free will and determinism are incompatible.

Question 10

Greeks: View on the debate

Answer 10

Determinism: some views
Free will: no views

Question 11

Medieval: View on the debate

Answer 11

Emphasis on religion.
We have free will.

Question 12

Renaissance: View on the debate

Answer 12

Religious scholars questioned our free will

Question 13

Descartes: View on the debate

Answer 13

Body is determined, mind has free will.

Question 14

Darwin/Galton/Huxley: View on the debate

Answer 14

Skeptical of free will.

Question 15

What was William James’ view on the debate?

Answer 15

Free will is functional.
He distinguished determined choice from free chance.
Also defined the debate between hard and soft determinism.

Question 16

What was Skinner’s view on the debate?

Answer 16

Behaviour is determined.

Question 17

Who was an example of a libertarianist?

Answer 17

Descartes

Question 18

What are 2 arguments for Libertarianism?

Answer 18

1. Non-physical agent-causal theories
   - Humans can be the start of causal chains of events
2. Physical event-causal theories
   - A small amount of randomness allows free will to be possible

Question 19

What are 2 arguments against Libertarianism?

Answer 19

1. Non-physical agent-causal theories
   - If we have identity, our past history must have somehow determined our actions.
2. Physical event-causal theories
   - It’s unlikely that random events occur at a large enough scale to affect decisions
   - Things are determined, they’re just more difficult to explain

Question 20

What are 2 arguments for Hard determinism?

Answer 20

1. Physics
2. Neuroscience

Question 21

What is an argument against Hard determinism?

Answer 21

Fatalism (If thinking about our decisions has no real effect on our actions, why do we bother doing it?)

Question 22

What is an argument against compatibilism?

Answer 22

Compatibilists change the definition of free will; they are determinists.

Question 23

What is an argument for impossibilism?

Answer 23

Brain activity increases before you start to make a movement (Libet’s electronic clock)