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AA Philo > Free Will > Flashcards

Free Will Flashcards

1
Q

(intro) Whats the cetral question

A

are individuals genuinely free to make choices, or are their actions determined by prior causes?

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2
Q

(intro) What are the two views

A
  1. Baron d’Holbach’s hard determinism argues that human actions are dictated by natural laws, meaning free will is an illusion.
  2. Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialism libertarianism champions radical freedom, arguing humans define themselves through their actions, or existence precedes essence, and emphasising personal responsibility, making freedom both a reality and a burden.
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3
Q

(intro) what are the implcation on

A
  1. moral responsibility, and justice
  2. ethical implications for crime and punishment, contrasting rehabilitation with retributive justice.
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4
Q

(HD) what is the main asseration

A

all events, including human actions, are determined by preceding causes, governed by the laws of nature, leaving no room for free will

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5
Q

(HD) What is d’holbachs addition

A
  1. the universe is mechanistic, npund by natural laws, where every occurrence is an inevitable consequence of prior states.
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6
Q

(HD) what is thus concet and what does it mean

A

This concept is called causal necessity: given specific prior conditions, only one outcome is possible. Human decisions and actions are thus the result of biological, psychological, and environmental factors.

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7
Q

(HD) what is the cahos ball theory

A

chaotic balls moing through a space where the;
1. trajetory
2. speed
3. valocuty
his another ball thus detraminig their own ttaj,sped,val
-
human actiosn are the same, all a caula chain form the big bain that neccsitate only one outcome

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8
Q

(HD) give me incoptablism in standard form

A

Premise 1: For free will to exist, individuals must be able to act otherwise.
Premise 2: If determinism is true, every action is causally determined by prior events.
Premise 3: If actions are causally determined, individuals cannot act otherwise.
Conclusion: Therefore, free will is an illusion.

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9
Q

(HD) what is the stance of human psycholgy

A

reductionist, laiming thoughts and choices reduce to brain processes governed by physical laws,

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10
Q

(HD) what other theory does this align with

A

J.J.C. Smart’s identity theory by equating mental states with brain states, arguing that terms like “consciousness” may eventually be replaced by neuroscientific language,
–>
although this appeals to the future fallacy.

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11
Q

(HD) explain lapalces demon

A

Laplace proposed an all seeing demon, who could see adn pericev evry past action, oculd iwth certinity predict the future. the implicatiosn of this however heavliy impcat modern understanding of moral responsblity

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12
Q

(HD punish) how does HD apply to punishmnet

A

If choices are not free, holding individuals morally accountable—by blame or praise—is unjust.

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13
Q

(HD punish) what is an illustrtive example

A

if a person commits robbery due to socioeconomic factors, childhood environment, or natural laws like genetic predispositions, it would be unreasonable to assign moral guilt as if they could have acted differently.

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14
Q

(HD punish) how would a HD explain the robbery

A

their actiosn were set in motion due to;
1. a need form money –> born low ses family
2. a predispoition to commit crime –> parenst nver discplined them
3. a low iq preventing other oppertinutie –> biologcal circumstances
-
therefor he couldnt have chosen otherwise

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15
Q

(HD punish) how does this aign with retribuitve justice in standard form

A

Premise 1: Retributive justice assumes individuals have free will and can be held morally responsible.
Premise 2: If determinism is true free will does not exist
Conclusion: Retributive justice has no moral foundation.

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16
Q

(HD punish) should we then ablosih punishemnt?

A

nah fam, actions stem from biolgical and envrioment circumsatnces, punishment itslef is a part of the causal chain
1. puts robbery on a new path through rehablitation
2. shows robber actions are wr9ng and not worth it
3. other predisposed indviduals hit like a ball off the path of robbery
-
all of this os already caulsally detremined

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17
Q

(HD punish) what dhosuld the aletrnative be

A

a result justice system should focus on rehabilitation and deterrence, addressing the causes of criminal behaviour.

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18
Q

(HD punish) how would hd respond to the robbery

A
  1. focus on rehabilitation,
  2. providing education or therapy
  3. ## address the environmental and psychological factors contributing to the crime.This approach prevents future crimes by modifying systemic conditions, aligning with social justice ideals.
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19
Q

(HD punish) what is the core philsophy

A

Punishment, in this view, is not morally justified in itself but can be practical if it prevents further harm​, though with an aim to reduce recidivism and foster a more just society.

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20
Q

(HD - crit) How compelling is this arguemnt

A

Compelling as ot takes modern understanings of sicatl casues of crime into consideration however not without preventive measures

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21
Q

(HD crit) how does HD effect society

A

First, the widespread belief in free will conflicts with the deterministic view. The argument stems for people intuition and is summarised as, People widely believe they have free will and can choose between different actions. Hard determinism conflicts with our intuitive sense of freedom and responsibility.

22
Q

(HD crit) what is an scientific chlannage

A

Quantum mechanics also introduces a challenge, as it suggests that at the subatomic level, certain events occur without strict causal determination.

23
Q

(HD crit) quantma indetermancy in standrd form

A

Premise 1: If determinism is true, all events must be causally determined.
Premise 2: Quantum mechanics shows that some events are indeterministic.
Conclusion: Therefore, not all events are causally determined, challenging strict determinism.
-
Although quantum indeterminacy does not necessarily support free will, it complicates the deterministic view of the universe.

24
Q

reply to QID

A

this si challanged by laplaces demon, who can in tehory know quantam movements, it could still predict a future outcome

25
Q

heisenburgs uncertinity pricniple

A

Rerevelas no atoms location adn soeed can be known similtainiously, making this theorteclly imposisible

26
Q

how compelling rae the arugments

A

make compleling use of emperical evidcen to chllange sttrcit detremanism but themselves do not porve/disprove free will as any more likey or unlikey when assigning moral resposnlity

27
Q

(HD crit) what are the promblemticsoictal implcations

A

Furthermore, psychological studies suggest that belief in free will enhances motivation, while belief in determinism can lead to a sense of helplessness, raising concerns about the social impact of determinism.

28
Q

(JPE) what does jean-paul Sartre existentialism assert

A

exostential libertarinsm asserts humans are radically free and responsible for their actions.

29
Q

(JPE) What phrase captures his philsophy

A

placing a premium on freedom

30
Q

(JPE) what are his keyest concpets

A

“being-for-itself” (conscious beings) and “being-in-itself” (objects).

31
Q

(JPE) Describe being for itself

A

being-for-itself characterises those who possess self-awareness, reflection, and the ability to project into the future, humans.

32
Q

(JPE) describing being in itself

A

entities, like rocks, which simply exist without consciousness.

33
Q

(JPE) what is radical freedorm in standrd form

A

humans are “condemned to be free.” This means complete autonomy over one’s life and choices.
Premise 1: Radical freedom implies total responsibility for one’s choices.
Premise 2: If no external forces determine human actions, individuals are fully accountable.
Conclusion: People must define their own values and live authentically.

34
Q

(JPE) explain humans ablity to consciouess projet

A

unretsratined from the facity, contratins of natural laws

35
Q

(JPE) explain his cpnetpts of consciuoesness

A

humans are radically free from the cuasl chain that form the foundations of hard detremanism

36
Q

how does sartre illustarate his point

A

howvere consciosuness, remarkabley immaterial and thus uncontrated by natural laws

37
Q

(E - Punish) What are teh implciation of freedom

A

imposes the burden of responsibility as individuals must accept full accountability for their decisions.

38
Q

(E - Punish) What does sartre belive if you disagree iwth him

A

individuals who deny this radical freedom and responsibility are living in bad faith, choosing to blame external factors. Living authentically demands rejecting self-deception and owning one’s freedom. Sartre argues that punishment forces individuals to confront their autonomy, aligning with his view that people must face the consequences of their choices.

39
Q

(E - Punish) what is hos moral repsosnlblity argument in standrd form

A

Premise 1: If humans possess radical freedom, they are fully responsible for their actions.
Premise 2: Sartre’s existentialism asserts that individuals are radically free.
Conclusion: Therefore, individuals are morally accountable for their actions, justifying retributive justice.

40
Q

(E - Punish) Connect to Hd exple

A

Sartre’s would argue the the individual made a conscious decision and must face the consequences. Punishment, in this sense, is not merely a tool for deterrence or rehabilitation but a way to confront the individual with their freedom and responsibility.

41
Q

why does belive the rbber is resbonsble

A

the robber is able to porkect all future possible outcmes and chose to rob
1. work for the money
2. be homeless
3. rob

42
Q

(S- crit) how does it not account for (standrd form(

A

external influences.

Premise 1: Radical freedom assumes individuals have complete autonomy over their choices.
Premise 2: External factors like socioeconomic status or psychological conditions can heavily influence human decisions.
Conclusion: Sartre’s concept of radical freedom overestimates human autonomy.

43
Q

what s satre reply

A

this is compleling as, atlthiuhg the arguemnst has flaws, it doenst dismantale startre conpcetion of free will and aligns with how the justic sytems all ready works

44
Q

(S- crit) what is sartre unrealistic about

A

autonomy was expanded upon. Not all individuals possess the same capacity for self-reflection and rational decision-making. Those with mental illness or cognitive impairments, for example, may struggle to make choices independently.

45
Q

(s - crit) what are the improper implcations of redicall freedom

A

which does not fully consider these limitations, could lead to an unfair assignment of moral responsibility. These criticisms suggest that while Sartre’s radical freedom empowers individuals, it may also place an undue burden on those unable to fully exercise such autonomy,

46
Q

(S- crit) okhams razor

A

do not postulate without necessity, would cirtais the addition of beling for itslef as there is no need for additioanl n=forms of life to expain cosncioueness

47
Q

(S- crit) what is it lacking, how to go forwrad

A

requiring adjustments to address the complex realities of human experience, where freedom and responsibility are often interwoven with situational constraints.

48
Q

(conc) What is HD strnegsth

A

m, grounded in science, argues that human actions are determined by prior causes, challenging traditional notions of blame and retribution. This perspective supports a justice system focused on rehabilitation and deterrence, recognizing the impact of external influences on behaviour.

49
Q

(conc) what are satrte stenths

A

it may overlook the significant role external factors play in shaping human behaviour.

50
Q

(conc) what is my (previously justfied) persnal osition

A

provides a stronger foundation for justice systems by acknowledging causality and offering a more humane approach. By emphasising rehabilitation over punishment, it aligns with contemporary social justice ideals, addressing the root causes of crime and prioritising reducing recidivism.

51
Q

(conc) what are the personla implications

A

shifts the focus from personal blame to societal and environmental factors that shape behaviour, fostering a more compassionate and effective system

52
Q

(conc) what are the soictal implcaition

A

a justice system that prioritises rehabilitation and social support, ultimately creating a more equitable society where individuals receive the help they need to make positive choices.

AA Philo (4 decks)

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