Chapter 4 - Free Will PDF

CHAPTER 4 Are you free?  LEARNING OBJECTIVES Get introduced to the problem of free will Understand the ethical and practical implications of determinism, indeterminism, and compatibilism. Argue for (or against) each school of thought. ...

CHAPTER 4 Are you free?  LEARNING OBJECTIVES Get introduced to the problem of free will Understand the ethical and practical implications of determinism, indeterminism, and compatibilism. Argue for (or against) each school of thought.  3) Sartre William Indeterminism James We and create We live in a Libertarianism world of ourselves possibilities through our choices 2) 1) Compatibilism Free Will and Determinism Determinism Dennett Schlick Stace Free will Baron Free Will is Free Will is is real d ‘ Holbach real in real in and is an Free Will is an absence of absence of evolved illusion external internal human constraints constraints creation as well  ARE YOU THE MASTER OF YOUR FATE? There are three general ways to answer this question: 1. Determinism 2. Compatibilism 3. Indeterminism (&Libertarianism) THE MAIN DIFFERENCE Determinism and compatibilism: There is only one historical scenario; acts are predetermined by causal rules Indeterminism: There are many possible historical scenarios; acts may happen randomly or through active free will.  DETERMINISM Some popular explanations: Human nature: There is no possibility of free choice because our actions necessarily follow from our inborn nature, and we cannot be other than we are. The environment: Behaviors are the direct products of the life experiences that people have.  DETERMINISM Psychological forces: Our actions are the direct result of deep psychological impulses that have been formed by people’s earliest experiences. Social dynamics: People’s behavior is determined by the need to conform to the prevailing norms, to be accepted by peer groups, and to please those who are close to them.  DETERMINISM: D’HOLBACH Premise 2: Internal Premise 1: If external constraints are shaped Premise 3: we cannot constraints are Conclusion : we have by many complex escape our internal removed, we still have no Free will factors form biology constraints internal constraints. to culture. What about the moral implications of determinism? Can we be accountable for our actions and choices? MORAL IMPLICATIONS  COMPATIBILISM Beginning with David Hume some philosophers argued that free choice is possible even when endorsing a general deterministic view. So compatibilism (soft determinism) is a reconciliation between hard determinism and indeterminism (libertarianism.)  COMPATIBILISM: W.T. STACE Premise 1: Humans are free, only in the Conclusion : Mostly absence of external we have free constraints. choice. Premise 2: Mostly, we are absent of external constraints.  SCHLICK AND THE DEGREES OF FREEDOM Conclusion : we can Premise 1: In some Premise 2: In some increase our freedom cases we can overcome cases we can overcome gradually by our external constraints. our internal constraints. overcoming constraints.  FREE WILL AS A HUMAN CREATION: DENNETT Premise 1: Humans Conclusion: Free Will are a product of can be studied evolutionary process. scientifically Premise 2: Free will is a byproduct of evolution.  FREE WILL AS A HUMAN CREATION: DENNETT Humans are a product of evolutionary process. Free will is a byproduct of evolution. Free will does exist, but it is not a preexisting feature of our existence, like the law of gravity. It is an evolved creation of human activity and beliefs, and it is just as real as such other human creations as music and money. TWO VIEWS OF THE UNIVERSE: JAMES For James, there are 2 ways of viewing the universe 1. A universe of actualities 2. A universe of possibilities We cannot tell what will happen regarding human choice. We live in a universe of possibilities.  A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES: W. JAMES We should seek a meaning in life. Free will is the only way to have a meaning for concepts like morality, religion, social improvement, etc. Determinism leads to Cosmic Pessimism A BETTER THEORY Indeterminist theories help us understand our lived experience better. On the other hand, P: There is no way to falsify determinism. C: Determinism is dogmatic.  WE CREATE OURSELVES: SARTRE Sartre proposes to reverse the tradition of “essentialist metaphysics”. The concept that Essence precedes existence results from focusing on the past, not the future. Instead, for Sartre Existence precedes Essence  WE CREATE OURSELVES: SARTRE We are condemned to be free. With radical freedom comes radical responsibility. Result: Feelings of Anguish Abandonment Despair But it’s worth it. Your life is your record in history. You are the sum of your actions, not your wishes and dreams.  Summary In this lecture you learned: The defining difference between determinism (hard/soft) and indeterminism How the different schools tackle the problem of free will The ethical implications of each school of thought How existentialism paved the way to the current age of personal freedom