PHIL 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Incompatibilism, Hard Determinism, Walter Terence Stace
21 May 2018
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CHAPTER 5- FREE WILL
The concept of free will
o Free will = ability to do what one wants
o Free will = ability to do other than what the laws of nature and the past
determine
• Compatibilist free will
o On the compatibilist notion of free will, someone is free when:
o Does what he wants/ desires/feels like
Laplace’s Demon
• In the history of science, Laplace's demon was the first published articulation of
causal or scientific determinism
The Consequence Argument
P1. If determinism is true, then our acts are the consequences of the laws of nature and
events in the remote past.
P2. But it is not up to us what went on before we were born; and neither is it up to us
what the laws of nature are. .
C: Therefore, the consequences of these things (including our present acts) are not up
to us.
- If determinism is true, we are puppets!
Incompatibilism (Hard Determinism, Libertarianism)
• That free will and determinism are incompatible is called incompatibilism
o Admits of only 2 philosophical positions
o Free will is an illusion
o Either determinism is true, case in which free will is an illusion, or free will
is real, case in which determinism is false (indeterminism is true )
• First position is called hard determinism
• 2nd position is called metaphysical libertarianism
Hard determinism
• Free will is an ILLUSION
• Everything u do is controlled, prior causes
• No control as everything is determined
• Libertarianism
o Agrees free will and determinism are incompatible
Problems with Indeterminism
Probs with indeterminism
• (hard determinism) Are determinism and free will compatible?
• No incompatibilism
• Free will is an illusion. Determinism is true
No incompatibilism
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Document Summary
In the history of science, laplace"s demon was the first published articulation of causal or scientific determinism. If determinism is true, then our acts are the consequences of the laws of nature and events in the remote past. But it is not up to us what went on before we were born; and neither is it up to us what the laws of nature are. C: therefore, the consequences of these things (including our present acts) are not up to us. If determinism is true, we are puppets! Hard determinism: free will is an illusion, everything u do is controlled, prior causes, no control as everything is determined, libertarianism, agrees free will and determinism are incompatible. Probs with indeterminism (hard determinism) are determinism and free will compatible: no incompatibilism, free will is an illusion. No incompatibilism (libertarianism) free will is real: determinism is false, event causation: kane, nozick, agent causation: taylor. Are determinism and free will compatible: yes compatibilism.
