Lecture 9

Question 1

Determinism

Answer 1

• every event is necessitated by antecedent events

and conditions together with the laws of nature

Question 2

• compatibilism

Answer 2

free will is compatible with determinism

Question 3

• incompatibilism:

Answer 3

free will is incompatible with determinism

Question 4

a) libertarianism

Answer 4

free will does exist and determinism is false

Question 5

b) hard determinism:

Answer 5

free will does not exist and determinism is

true

Question 6

Compatibilism (classic)

Answer 6

• free will requires alternative possibilities:
a) the power or ability to do what we want, and b) the absence of
constraints
b) there are no (external) constraints

Question 7

Incompatibilist mountain

‘ascent problem’:

‘descent problem’:

Answer 7

‘ascent problem’:
show that free will is
incompatible with
determinism

‘descent problem’:
show that free will is
compatible with
indeterminism

Question 8

Free will and indeterminism

Answer 8

• indetermined events happen by chance
• if our choice is the result of undetermined brain
processes, does this amount to a free and responsible
choice?
• compatibilism: the fact that free actions are determined
by our character, motives, past etc. is a Good Thing!
• Dennett’s interpretation of Martin Luther: “Here I stand.
I can do no other”