Free Will & Determinism I. PDF
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Uploaded by UserReplaceableMaroon7920
New Mexico State University
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Summary
This document discusses free will and determinism, presenting arguments for incompatibility. It outlines two principles, PUC (every event has a cause) and FWT (sometimes people act freely), and explores their potential incompatibility. The document also presents arguments based on these principles.
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Free Will and Determinism Two Principles: PUC: Every event has a cause. FWT: Sometimes people act freely. A Principle about Incompatibility: P and Q are incompatible if there is a valid argument from P and some necessary truths to the denial of Q. An Argument for In...
Free Will and Determinism Two Principles: PUC: Every event has a cause. FWT: Sometimes people act freely. A Principle about Incompatibility: P and Q are incompatible if there is a valid argument from P and some necessary truths to the denial of Q. An Argument for Incompatibility 1. Every event has a cause. (PUC) 2. If every event has a cause, then everything we do is completely determined by antecedent conditions. 3. If everything we do is completely determined by antecedent conditions, then nobody ever acts freely. 4. Therefore, nobody ever acts freely. (denial of FWT) [1,2,3 MMP] Another (Very Similar) Argument for Incompatibility 1. Sometimes people do things freely. (FWT) 2. If sometimes people do things freely, then not everything we do is completely determined by antecedent conditions. 3. If not everything we do is completely determined by antecedent conditions, then some events are not caused. : 4. Therefore, some events are not caused. (Denial of PUC) [1,2,3 MMP] :