Freedom & Determinism

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on the topics of freedom, determinism, and moral responsibility.

Causality

The relationship between cause and effect, where an action or event leads to a consequence.

Moral Responsibility

The status of being accountable for one's actions, especially in relation to ethical or legal implications.

Determinism

The philosophical belief that all events, including human actions, are determined by previously existing causes.

Hard Determinism

The view that determinism is true and that it is incompatible with moral responsibility.

Soft Determinism

The belief that determinism is true but that it is compatible with moral responsibility.

Libertarianism (in philosophy)

The belief that individuals have free will and can initiate causal chains, rejecting determinism.

Paradox

A situation or statement that appears contradictory or unresolvable, such as the simultaneous acceptance of determinism and moral responsibility.

Causal Chain

A sequence of events in which one event causes another.

Choice

The act of selecting an option from a set of possibilities.

Critique of Pure Reason

A philosophical work by Immanuel Kant that discusses the limitations and scope of human understanding.

Soft Determinists

Those who believe that while human behavior is determined, moral responsibility still exists.

Hard Determinists

Those who believe that since all behavior is determined, moral responsibility is an illusion.