Free Will and Moral Responsibility Flashcards
Determinism
Dennet- The “mind” does not exist and the body is simply an input output machine
All decisions are predetermined by biology. to call them decisions is fiction
Compatiblism
Hume- Our preference are determined, but what we do with them is up to us
Preferences are determined by our environment
Libertarianism
Descartes- The mind is free and completely separate from the physical world
Most substance dualists are libertarian
Strengths of determinism
-Ockham’s Razor: no reason to overcomplicate. determinism is the simplest solution
-Works well with Calvinism
Weaknesses of determinism
Seems to eliminate all moral responsibility. (criminals have no choice, they were always going to commit the crime)
Strengths of compatibilism
Hume says:
the world only makes sense if there is determinism- we wouldn’t know outcomes if it wasn’t.
For example: If I pick up a pen and it explodes
If people weren’t regular in interactions, we’d probably avoid all human interactions
For example: Asking Donoho a question and he explodes
Weaknesses of compatibilism
How do minds and bodies interact?
How can minds be free if our bodies are determined?
Strengths of libertarianism
Pairs well with substance dualism
This is how we think of others. HADD (if you car doesn’t work, we assume it is disobeying us)
Weaknesses of libertarianism
Minds are influenced by brains, brains obey the rules of nature tho?
plenty of evidence to show humans dont always choose what they want (peer pressure)
Moral responsibility
To what extent do we have choice?
if we make a mistake, how much of it is on us?
Determinists on MR
No one has any moral responsibility because God makes all the decisions
Libertarians on MR
We all have a lot of MR as we have complete free will
types of determinism
