Free Will Incompatibilism Flashcards
What is incompatibilism and what what are the two types?
Free will is incompatible with determinism
- Libertarianism
- Hard Determinism
What is the consequence argument, who proposed it, what does it mean for indeterminists?
Peter Van Inwagen
- No one has power over the facts of the past and laws of nature
- ## The events of the past and the laws of nature entail every fact of the futureC: no one has power over the facts of the future
We need alternate possibilities to have freedom - Inwagen says we don’t
What’s the sourcehood argument, what does this mean for indeterminists?
- A person acts of her own free will if and only if she is it’s ultimate source
- ## If determinism is true, no one is the ultimate source of her actionsC: if determinism is true, no one acts of her own free will
Moral responsibility requires the buck stop be with the agent
What are the two conditions for free will?
- Requiring alternate possibilities AP
2. Requiring ultimate responsibility UR
What are the three types of libertarianism?
- Leeway Libertarianism
- Source Libertarianism
- Agent Causalism
Explain source libertarianism.
Who’s argument is it?
Robert Kane
- we have ultimate responsibility for our actions because of Self Forming Acts (SFA)
- SFA = past moment of undetermined choice which shaped one’s future
- SFA = the buckstopper
What makes an action free is that the causal chain included a SFA
Explain Agent Causalism.
Who’s argument is it?
Thomas Reid
Agents cause events
- they possess active power
Active power = the ability both to do and to refrain from doing something
- moral responsibility requires the ability to refrain
The exercise of active power is the buckstopper!
What are the two problems for libertarianism?
Luck
- if we have two options available and we are not determined in any way surely what we choose is merely down to luck
- how can we hold moral responsibility in an instance of luck?
Dualism
- libertarians are committed to there being alternate possibilities
- since they argue choices come from the non-physical agents mind this must also be true of the psychological
- so according to libertarianism we can’t be psychologically determined
Hard Determinism
- what requirements do they accept
- who are the two hard determinists
Accept both
- requirement for alternate possibilities
- requirement for ultimate responsibility
Galen Strawson
Derek Pereboom
Explain Strawson’s argument?
- accepts sourcehood as a requirement for free will but that it is impossible to be the ultimate source of one’s actions
- the way we are is a result of our genetic inheritance and early experiences
- infinite regress of actions and choices
What’s the standard form of Strawson’s Argument?
- You do what you do because of the way you are
- If you’re going to be ultimately responsible for what you do, you have to be responsible for the way you are
- ## You can’t be ultimately responsible for the way you areC: You can’t be responsible for what you do
What’s Pereboom’s argument?
Accepts sourcehood
- ultimate sourcehood requires that agents be causes
Pereboom REJECTS agent causalism
Agent causalism is not credible given our physical theories
What’s Pereboom’s account of blame?
- admonishment and encouragements not blame and praise
- detention justified like quarantine
