intro day 15

Philosophy 11: Introduction to Philosophy

Professor Michael Hicks

10 February 2014

Prof. Hicks Phil 11 February 10 1 / 7

Introductory

Administrative issues

Theme for this week: Free Will

I Hume, Enquiry §8I Searle, from Minds, Brains and Science

Midterm: Friday

I Study Guide up nowI Open book, open hand-written notesI No technology: computers, phones, tablets, etc.I No typed text, unless it is OKed by me or a TA


Introductory


Theme for this week: Free WillI Hume, Enquiry §8

I Searle, from Minds, Brains and Science

Midterm: Friday



Introductory


Theme for this week: Free WillI Hume, Enquiry §8I Searle, from Minds, Brains and Science

Midterm: Friday



Introductory



Midterm: FridayI Study Guide up now

I Open book, open hand-written notesI No technology: computers, phones, tablets, etc.I No typed text, unless it is OKed by me or a TA


Introductory



Midterm: FridayI Study Guide up nowI Open book, open hand-written notes

I No technology: computers, phones, tablets, etc.I No typed text, unless it is OKed by me or a TA


Introductory



Midterm: FridayI Study Guide up nowI Open book, open hand-written notesI No technology: computers, phones, tablets, etc.

I No typed text, unless it is OKed by me or a TA


Introductory



Midterm: FridayI Study Guide up nowI Open book, open hand-written notesI No technology: computers, phones, tablets, etc.I No typed text, unless it is OKed by me or a TA


The Story up to Now

Rationalism and Empiricism

Three essential claims for Descartes

1 A thinking thing exists2 I am not my body3 I am free

The difference between rationalism and empiricism

I Innate ideas? (Hume on impressions)I Better: ideas of pure reason; ideas the existence of which pure reason can

disclose (independent of experience)

F Idea of myself (and Hume’s objection)F Idea of non-mental substance (Strawson)F Relation of mind to body (Elizabeth)

I In all these cases, Descartes insists we have an idea, where his critic claims wehave a problem.

Empiricism is one way of solving the problem


The Story up to Now


Three essential claims for Descartes1 A thinking thing exists

2 I am not my body3 I am free








The Story up to Now


Three essential claims for Descartes1 A thinking thing exists2 I am not my body

3 I am free








The Story up to Now


Three essential claims for Descartes1 A thinking thing exists2 I am not my body3 I am free








The Story up to Now



The difference between rationalism and empiricismI Innate ideas? (Hume on impressions)

I Better: ideas of pure reason; ideas the existence of which pure reason candisclose (independent of experience)





The Story up to Now



The difference between rationalism and empiricismI Innate ideas? (Hume on impressions)I Better: ideas of pure reason; ideas the existence of which pure reason can






The Story up to Now




disclose (independent of experience)F Idea of myself (and Hume’s objection)

F Idea of non-mental substance (Strawson)F Relation of mind to body (Elizabeth)




The Story up to Now




disclose (independent of experience)F Idea of myself (and Hume’s objection)F Idea of non-mental substance (Strawson)

F Relation of mind to body (Elizabeth)




The Story up to Now




disclose (independent of experience)F Idea of myself (and Hume’s objection)F Idea of non-mental substance (Strawson)F Relation of mind to body (Elizabeth)




The Problem of Free Will

Determinism as a problem

Small scale universe: three balls in a genuinely closed box (no forces in orout).

I We can predict where they’ll all end up.I What failings we might have are due to ignorance about initial conditions, etc.

Scaling up: what changes?

I More complex lawsI More ignorance about initial conditionsI Epistemological indeterminacyI Potentially non-deterministic laws

Determinism

I Initial state and laws of nature yield all other statesI Bracketing indeterminacy issues, perfect prediction/retrodictionI Divine Foreknowledge

Question: can freedom exist in a deterministic world?





I We can predict where they’ll all end up.

I What failings we might have are due to ignorance about initial conditions, etc.



Determinism










Determinism








Scaling up: what changes?I More complex laws

I More ignorance about initial conditionsI Epistemological indeterminacyI Potentially non-deterministic laws

Determinism








Scaling up: what changes?I More complex lawsI More ignorance about initial conditions

I Epistemological indeterminacyI Potentially non-deterministic laws

Determinism








Scaling up: what changes?I More complex lawsI More ignorance about initial conditionsI Epistemological indeterminacy

I Potentially non-deterministic laws

Determinism








Scaling up: what changes?I More complex lawsI More ignorance about initial conditionsI Epistemological indeterminacyI Potentially non-deterministic laws

Determinism









DeterminismI Initial state and laws of nature yield all other states

I Bracketing indeterminacy issues, perfect prediction/retrodictionI Divine Foreknowledge








DeterminismI Initial state and laws of nature yield all other statesI Bracketing indeterminacy issues, perfect prediction/retrodiction

I Divine Foreknowledge








DeterminismI Initial state and laws of nature yield all other statesI Bracketing indeterminacy issues, perfect prediction/retrodictionI Divine Foreknowledge




Quantum Indeterminacy: an aside

Epistemic indeterminacy

I Precludes perfect prediction/retrodictionI Basic problem still remains

What about non-deterministic laws?

I Work at wrong scale: macro-phenomena are deterministicI If my activities were determined randomly, it isn’t obvious that would be any

better




Epistemic indeterminacyI Precludes perfect prediction/retrodiction

I Basic problem still remains



better




Epistemic indeterminacyI Precludes perfect prediction/retrodictionI Basic problem still remains



better





What about non-deterministic laws?I Work at wrong scale: macro-phenomena are deterministic

I If my activities were determined randomly, it isn’t obvious that would be anybetter





What about non-deterministic laws?I Work at wrong scale: macro-phenomena are deterministicI If my activities were determined randomly, it isn’t obvious that would be any

better


Humean Compatibilism

Hume’s Compatibilism

The strategy

I Puzzle stems from apparent conflict between “necessity” and freedomI Hume: the idea of free will that appears to oppose necessity is, Hume thinks,

a confusion.

F It is one of those “ideas of reason” that is no idea at all.

I If we can explain what is at stake in describing ourselves as free, it might turnout that freedom is compatible with necessity.

Necessity

I Everyone believes in it.I Example: prediction of drivers on road (employees [17], jailer [19])I Example: friend who behaves unexpectedly ([20])I Necessity is explicability, not secret power ([21])I Necessity is opposed to chance.

If everyone believes in necessity, what exactly is the problem?




The strategyI Puzzle stems from apparent conflict between “necessity” and freedom

I Hume: the idea of free will that appears to oppose necessity is, Hume thinks,a confusion.



Necessity






The strategyI Puzzle stems from apparent conflict between “necessity” and freedomI Hume: the idea of free will that appears to oppose necessity is, Hume thinks,

a confusion.



Necessity







a confusion.F It is one of those “ideas of reason” that is no idea at all.


Necessity









NecessityI Everyone believes in it.

I Example: prediction of drivers on road (employees [17], jailer [19])I Example: friend who behaves unexpectedly ([20])I Necessity is explicability, not secret power ([21])I Necessity is opposed to chance.








NecessityI Everyone believes in it.I Example: prediction of drivers on road (employees [17], jailer [19])

I Example: friend who behaves unexpectedly ([20])I Necessity is explicability, not secret power ([21])I Necessity is opposed to chance.








NecessityI Everyone believes in it.I Example: prediction of drivers on road (employees [17], jailer [19])I Example: friend who behaves unexpectedly ([20])

I Necessity is explicability, not secret power ([21])I Necessity is opposed to chance.








NecessityI Everyone believes in it.I Example: prediction of drivers on road (employees [17], jailer [19])I Example: friend who behaves unexpectedly ([20])I Necessity is explicability, not secret power ([21])

I Necessity is opposed to chance.








NecessityI Everyone believes in it.I Example: prediction of drivers on road (employees [17], jailer [19])I Example: friend who behaves unexpectedly ([20])I Necessity is explicability, not secret power ([21])I Necessity is opposed to chance.




Compatibilism, continued

Freedom

I Constraint is being prevented from doing something one wants to doI Freedom is a lack of constraintI Is constraint necessity? No.

Compatibilism

I Our psychological states are subject to natural lawsI So long as our actions are determined by our choices, there is no problemI There is no other idea of freedom

The problem of free will

I Do we need a non-compatibilist conception of freedom?I “Libertarianism”: we are free in a way that contradicts necessityI Is there an idea of libertarian freedom?




FreedomI Constraint is being prevented from doing something one wants to do

I Freedom is a lack of constraintI Is constraint necessity? No.

Compatibilism







FreedomI Constraint is being prevented from doing something one wants to doI Freedom is a lack of constraint

I Is constraint necessity? No.

Compatibilism







FreedomI Constraint is being prevented from doing something one wants to doI Freedom is a lack of constraintI Is constraint necessity? No.

Compatibilism








CompatibilismI Our psychological states are subject to natural laws

I So long as our actions are determined by our choices, there is no problemI There is no other idea of freedom







CompatibilismI Our psychological states are subject to natural lawsI So long as our actions are determined by our choices, there is no problem

I There is no other idea of freedom







CompatibilismI Our psychological states are subject to natural lawsI So long as our actions are determined by our choices, there is no problemI There is no other idea of freedom








The problem of free willI Do we need a non-compatibilist conception of freedom?

I “Libertarianism”: we are free in a way that contradicts necessityI Is there an idea of libertarian freedom?






The problem of free willI Do we need a non-compatibilist conception of freedom?I “Libertarianism”: we are free in a way that contradicts necessity

I Is there an idea of libertarian freedom?






The problem of free willI Do we need a non-compatibilist conception of freedom?I “Libertarianism”: we are free in a way that contradicts necessityI Is there an idea of libertarian freedom?


intro day 15

Education