Free Will Incompatibilism

Question 1

What is incompatibilism and what what are the two types?

Answer 1

Free will is incompatible with determinism

1. Libertarianism
2. Hard Determinism

Question 2

What is the consequence argument, who proposed it, what does it mean for indeterminists?

Answer 2

Peter Van Inwagen

1. No one has power over the facts of the past and laws of nature
2. ## The events of the past and the laws of nature entail every fact of the futureC: no one has power over the facts of the future

We need alternate possibilities to have freedom - Inwagen says we don’t

Question 3

What’s the sourcehood argument, what does this mean for indeterminists?

Answer 3

1. A person acts of her own free will if and only if she is it’s ultimate source
2. ## If determinism is true, no one is the ultimate source of her actionsC: if determinism is true, no one acts of her own free will

Moral responsibility requires the buck stop be with the agent

Question 4

What are the two conditions for free will?

Answer 4

1. Requiring alternate possibilities AP

2. Requiring ultimate responsibility UR

Question 5

What are the three types of libertarianism?

Answer 5

1. Leeway Libertarianism
2. Source Libertarianism
3. Agent Causalism

Question 6

Explain source libertarianism.

Who’s argument is it?

Answer 6

Robert Kane

• we have ultimate responsibility for our actions because of Self Forming Acts (SFA)
• SFA = past moment of undetermined choice which shaped one’s future
• SFA = the buckstopper

What makes an action free is that the causal chain included a SFA

Question 7

Explain Agent Causalism.

Who’s argument is it?

Answer 7

Thomas Reid

Agents cause events
- they possess active power

Active power = the ability both to do and to refrain from doing something
- moral responsibility requires the ability to refrain

The exercise of active power is the buckstopper!

Question 8

What are the two problems for libertarianism?

Answer 8

Luck

• if we have two options available and we are not determined in any way surely what we choose is merely down to luck
• how can we hold moral responsibility in an instance of luck?

Dualism

• libertarians are committed to there being alternate possibilities
• since they argue choices come from the non-physical agents mind this must also be true of the psychological
• so according to libertarianism we can’t be psychologically determined

Question 9

Hard Determinism

• what requirements do they accept
• who are the two hard determinists

Answer 9

Accept both

• requirement for alternate possibilities
• requirement for ultimate responsibility

Galen Strawson
Derek Pereboom

Question 10

Explain Strawson’s argument?

Answer 10

• accepts sourcehood as a requirement for free will but that it is impossible to be the ultimate source of one’s actions
• the way we are is a result of our genetic inheritance and early experiences
• infinite regress of actions and choices

Question 11

What’s the standard form of Strawson’s Argument?

Answer 11

1. You do what you do because of the way you are
2. If you’re going to be ultimately responsible for what you do, you have to be responsible for the way you are
3. ## You can’t be ultimately responsible for the way you areC: You can’t be responsible for what you do

Question 12

What’s Pereboom’s argument?

Answer 12

Accepts sourcehood
- ultimate sourcehood requires that agents be causes
Pereboom REJECTS agent causalism

Agent causalism is not credible given our physical theories

Question 13

What’s Pereboom’s account of blame?

Answer 13

• admonishment and encouragements not blame and praise

- detention justified like quarantine