free will Flashcards
What are the 3 approaches to (models of) free will?
Libertarianism, hard determinism + compatiblism (soft determinism)
Which of the 3 approaches view people morally responsible for moral actions?
Libertarianism
Which 2 approaches view it appropriate to be rewarded and punished for moral behaviour?
Libertarianism + compatibilism
How does Libertarianism view humans?
Free moral agents
Our bodies are subject to eternal laws, but not minds (like dualism)
What laws do libertarians believe our bodies subject to/determined by? But how are we free?
Determined by gravity, laws, different bodies (disease, weight)
Morally free
What sort of limitations do libertarianisms say we have?
Physical limitations
Psychological limitations
Social limitations
What is the paralysis of complete freedom in libertarianism?
Complete freedom would be like being in a featureless landscape. Actual freedom requires limitations to make sense, so you have choices
E.g. you’re free to choose what’s on the menu, but you need the menu
What does Satre say about freedom (in libertarianism)?
Freedom gives ur life meaning; choosing is central to existence - ur defined by choices
What are the 3 types of hard determinism?
Psychological determinism, theological determinism + scientific determinism
What does hard determinism believe?
All our actions have been caused by a prior event
What is the view of hard determinism in terms of understanding the world?
Materialist view; understands the physical world to be the only reality that operates like a machine
What is scientific determinism?
All events, incl. human actions are determined by previous events, so there’s no freedom of will
What about scientific determinism tells us that we have no free will?
Everything can be analysed w science: physiology, psychology, sociology, anthropology
When can scientific determinism be avoided?
If the quantum world is undefined
If it can be shown that there are entities that aren’t completely governed by laws of nature
What scholar goes w psychological determinism?
Skinner
What does Skinner call psychological determinism?
Psychological behaviourism
What is Skinner’s psychological behaviourism?
All behaviour is a product of genetic + environmental conditions
All human action depends on prev. actions
What does Skinner say about actions in psychological determinism?
Good actions have good conseq. so the brain repeats it
What experiment did Ivan Pavlov do? What idea did this culminate?
Pavlov’s Dogs
Classical conditioning
What was the Pavlov’s Dogs experiment?
Every time scientist fed dog, sci. rang bell - dog realised bell=food
When the dog heard the bell, it would salivate
What does Skinner say about conditioning?
We can condition humans in the same way we do w children
Reward good + punish bad behaviour
What is theological determinism?
Human salvation is predetermined by God + not by our own actions
Why is human salvation determined?
Bc God is omniscient, he knows if you’ll go to heaven/hell
Future events are predestined
What does it mean if hard determinism is correct?
Reward + punishment would be meaningless bc ppl are predetermined to do what they do
What did Calvin say?
Some are ordained to glory, some are ordained to torment
What is compatibilism?
We are shaped by external factors, but have free will
What did Thomas Hobbs argue?
All actions are caused
What did A.J. Ayer differentiate between in compatibilism? Give an example?
Caused acts + forced acts
A kleptomaniac can resolve not to steal as much, but are compelled to steal bc they have a condition
What did Hume differentiate w in compatibalism?
Internal + external causes
What did Hume say internal causes are?
Originate from within a person in acc w desire
What did Hume say external causes are?
Those that originate from outside the person + constrain behaviour
What did Hume say liberty of indifference is?
Free from all causal necessity; which he saw as a delusion
What did Hume say liberty of spontaneity is?
Acting upon options
Universe sets up options + we pick
