Philosophy final

Question 1

Free Will + Moral Responsibility (Two Questions)

Answer 1

1. What is it to act (or choose) freely?
2. What is it to be morally responsible for one’s actions (or choices)?

Question 2

What is a necessary condition for moral responsibility?

Answer 2

Free will

Question 3

What is determinatinism

Answer 3

History of the universe is fixed; everything that happens is necessitated by what happens before; nothing can happen otherwise
- We live in a universe that is (as far as we know) governed by mechanistic laws

Question 4

The Basic Argument

Answer 4

Step 1: You perform action X in situation Y because of the way you are (ex brain chemistry, early up bringing, genetic inheritance, etc)

Step 2: Genuin responsibility requires being responsible for the way you are

Step 3: You can’t be responsible for the way you are: Therefore you are not responsible

Step 4: The way you are is fundamentally shaped by your factors you do not control

Step 5: Any attempt to change the way you are (or any level of success you can achieve) constrained/determined by the way you are

Question 5

What is the problem of free will?

Answer 5

Setting off potential infinite regress

Requires “self-origination” - one would have have to be CAUSA SUI (self caused cause…which is self-contradictory/unitelligible)

• Self-origination a NECASSARY CONDITION for moral responsibility…therefore no moral responsibility

Question 6

What is the role of Luck or Chance

Answer 6

Everything comes down to good/bad luck (e.g initial circumstances, mental nature, etc)