Free will

Am I ever really free?Am I ever really free?

Determinism:Determinism: the entire state of the world at the entire state of the world at any given time fixes, determines, any given time fixes, determines, necessitates, all the subsequent statesnecessitates, all the subsequent states

“Man’s life is a line that nature commands him to describe upon the surface of the earth, without his ever being able to swerve from it, even for an instant. He is born without his consent; his organization does in nowise depend upon himself; his ideas come to him involuntarily; his habits are in the control of those who cause him to contract them; he is unceasingly modified by causes, whether visible or concealed, over which he has no control….” --Paul Holbach, 1770

Determinism vs. Fatalism

Fatalism: some events are predestined: no Fatalism: some events are predestined: no matter what happens now, the outcome is matter what happens now, the outcome is the same---whether I do the same---whether I do xx or or yy now, now, zz will will resultresult

Determinism: if I do Determinism: if I do xx now, now, zz will result; if I will result; if I would do would do yy now, now, ww would result. But the would result. But the past determines that I will do past determines that I will do xx now. now.

Compatibilism:Compatibilism: determinism is compatible with determinism is compatible with freedom/moral responsibilityfreedom/moral responsibility

Incompatibilism:Incompatibilism: determinism is incompatible with determinism is incompatible with freedom/moral responsibilityfreedom/moral responsibility

Argument for incompatibilism:Argument for incompatibilism:1.1. Suppose determinism is trueSuppose determinism is true2.2. Then my choices are fixed by causes stretching Then my choices are fixed by causes stretching

back to before my birthback to before my birth3.3. I have no control over those causesI have no control over those causes4.4. Therefore, I have no control over what I do nowTherefore, I have no control over what I do now5.5. Therefore, I cannot be blamed or praised for Therefore, I cannot be blamed or praised for

what I do nowwhat I do now6.6. So, if determinism is true, no one is morally So, if determinism is true, no one is morally

responsibleresponsible

3 kinds of incompatibilism:

Libertarianism:Libertarianism: we are capable of making free and we are capable of making free and responsible choices, which are not determined responsible choices, which are not determined by the prior state of the worldby the prior state of the world

Hard determinism:Hard determinism: Determinism is true, and this Determinism is true, and this implies that we are never free/responsibleimplies that we are never free/responsible

Hard incompatibilism:Hard incompatibilism: whether determinism is true whether determinism is true or not, we are never free/responsibleor not, we are never free/responsible

An Argument for Hard Incompatibilism

1.1. Every event is either caused or randomEvery event is either caused or random

2.2. If my willing is caused, then it’s not freeIf my willing is caused, then it’s not free

3.3. If my willing is random, then it’s just If my willing is random, then it’s just something that happens to me and something that happens to me and therefore, not freetherefore, not free

4.4. Either way, the willing is not freeEither way, the willing is not free

5.5. Therefore, our willing is never freeTherefore, our willing is never free

Resistance to hard incompatibilism

We We feelfeel free free It’s degrading to think we are mere It’s degrading to think we are mere

automataautomata If no one is responsible, then punishment If no one is responsible, then punishment

is pointlessis pointless If we’re not free, there’s no point in trying If we’re not free, there’s no point in trying

to accomplish anythingto accomplish anything If others aren’t free, we can’t have normal If others aren’t free, we can’t have normal

“reactive attitudes” toward them“reactive attitudes” toward them

If we’re not free, then what’s the point of …..?

1.1. If we’re not free, then there’s no point to If we’re not free, then there’s no point to ….….

2.2. But there is a point to ….But there is a point to ….

3.3. Therefore, it’s false that we’re not free.Therefore, it’s false that we’re not free.

4.4. I.e., we are free.I.e., we are free.

Libertarianism

Can only events cause other events?Can only events cause other events?

Event-causal libertarianismEvent-causal libertarianism: only events are : only events are causes, but some choices are freecauses, but some choices are free

Agent-causal libertarianismAgent-causal libertarianism: non only events : non only events are causes; are causes; agentsagents are also sometimes are also sometimes causes. An agent-caused choice is free.causes. An agent-caused choice is free.

Chisholm: Human Freedom and the Self

What’s crucial is the freedom of the What’s crucial is the freedom of the willwill. . The fact that I could have done otherwise, The fact that I could have done otherwise, had I willed otherwise, is irrelevant.had I willed otherwise, is irrelevant.

If the will is determined by character If the will is determined by character (beliefs, desires), the choice is not free.(beliefs, desires), the choice is not free.

If all causation is event-causation, there is If all causation is event-causation, there is a regress of causes.a regress of causes.

If the self is the start of a new causal If the self is the start of a new causal chain, the willing is chain, the willing is Caused, so nonrandomCaused, so nonrandomThe product of the self, so not something that The product of the self, so not something that

happens to the agenthappens to the agent

Kane:Free Will: Ancient Dispute, New

ThemesSelf-forming actions: even if current action Self-forming actions: even if current action

is determined, freely shaping character in is determined, freely shaping character in the past makes current actions free. the past makes current actions free.

Indeterminism is necessary for freedom, Indeterminism is necessary for freedom, but not sufficientbut not sufficient

Assassin with nondeterministic gun is Assassin with nondeterministic gun is responsibleresponsible

Equally balanced conflicting desires:Equally balanced conflicting desires: I want to stop for help, I want to stop for help, andand I want to keep I want to keep

drivingdriving

Which desire produces action is Which desire produces action is nondeterministically decidednondeterministically decided

Whatever I do, I do what I wanted to doWhatever I do, I do what I wanted to do It was not fixed in advance that I would do It was not fixed in advance that I would do

thisthis Therefore, it’s free.Therefore, it’s free.

Compatibilism

Freedom/responsibility is compatible with Freedom/responsibility is compatible with determinismdeterminism

Compatibilism + determinism = “soft Compatibilism + determinism = “soft determinism”determinism”

Arguments for Compatibilism:

Resiliency:Resiliency:

We simply would not give up belief in We simply would not give up belief in freedom upon finding out that causal freedom upon finding out that causal determinism is truedeterminism is true

100% instead of 99.9% physical 100% instead of 99.9% physical probabilitiesprobabilities

Arguments for Compatibilism:

Commonsense understanding of freedom:Commonsense understanding of freedom:

Based on the Based on the typetype of cause, not on the of cause, not on the absence of cause, or indeterminacy of absence of cause, or indeterminacy of causecause

Run to my arms, you dearest boy,Run to my arms, you dearest boy, cried his cried his father in transports, father in transports, run to my arms; glad run to my arms; glad am I, George, that you killed my tree; for am I, George, that you killed my tree; for you have paid me for it a thousand fold. you have paid me for it a thousand fold. Such an act of heroism in my son, is more Such an act of heroism in my son, is more worth than a thousand trees, though worth than a thousand trees, though blossomed with silver, and their fruits of blossomed with silver, and their fruits of purest gold.purest gold.

No distinction?No distinction?

Incompatibilism implies that there is no Incompatibilism implies that there is no difference between actions determined by difference between actions determined by agent’s character and those determined by agent’s character and those determined by outside forcesoutside forces

But clearly, there’s a difference, even if But clearly, there’s a difference, even if determinism is truedeterminism is true

Conditional Analysis

S was free in doing x iff S could have done S was free in doing x iff S could have done otherwise; i.e., iff S would have done otherwise; i.e., iff S would have done otherwise, had S chosen to do otherwiseotherwise, had S chosen to do otherwise

Choice-dependenceChoice-dependence

Problems with conditional analysis

Conditional analysis holds that ability to do Conditional analysis holds that ability to do otherwise (if so chosen) is both necessary and otherwise (if so chosen) is both necessary and sufficient for freedomsufficient for freedom

However, it is neither necessary nor sufficient for However, it is neither necessary nor sufficient for freedomfreedom

Two types of counterexamples: Two types of counterexamples: Agent could have done otherwise but is not free;Agent could have done otherwise but is not free; Agent is free but couldn’t have done otherwiseAgent is free but couldn’t have done otherwise

Frankfurt-style cases

Fischer

Two kinds of control:Two kinds of control:

Guidance control:Guidance control: a process of causal a process of causal influence, not mere triggering, but ongoing influence, not mere triggering, but ongoing guidanceguidance

Regulative control:Regulative control: ability to do otherwise ability to do otherwise

Argument for incompatibilism (Consequence Argument for incompatibilism (Consequence Argument) shows that we don’t have regulative Argument) shows that we don’t have regulative control: we can’t change the future without control: we can’t change the future without changing the past (and we can’t do that)changing the past (and we can’t do that)

But Frankfurt-style cases show that regulative But Frankfurt-style cases show that regulative control is not necessary for freedom, provided control is not necessary for freedom, provided that agent has guidance controlthat agent has guidance control

So Consequence Argument does not undermine So Consequence Argument does not undermine freedomfreedom