Philosophy Test 4

The Desire Theory

Freedom is the power to act on your desires without external constraint.

First-Order Desire

A desire to act in a particular way.

Second-Order Desire

A desire about a first-order desire.

Second-Order Volition

Desire for a first-order desire to be your will.

Higher-Order Desire Theory

Freedom is the power to act on the desire you want to act on.

Sane Deep Self Theory

A person is free when their deep self controls their will and they are sane.

Determinism

The state of the world and the laws of nature necessitate a single future state of the world.

Fatalism

Every state of the world is necessary.

Ability to Do Otherwise Condition (AO)

A person x acted/chose freely only if x could have acted/chosen differently.

Untouchable Fact

A fact that no human being in history has ever had the power to change.

The Untouchability Principle

If p is an untouchable fact, and t is an untouchable fact that if p then q, then q is an untouchable fact.

Compatibilism

Determinism is compatible with free will.

Incompatibilism

If determinism is true, then we have no free will.

Libertarian Incompatibilism

Incompatibilism is true and we do have free will.

Hard Incompatibilism

Incompatibilism is true and we don’t have free will.

Retributivist Theory of Punishment

Criminal punishment is justified because criminals deserve to be punished for their crimes.

Contagion Theory of Punishment

Criminal punishment is justified because it prevents the criminal from further harming society.

Hedonistic Theory of Value

Pleasure is the only intrinsic good, and pain is the only intrinsic bad.

Hedonism (about the good life)

The best life is one of maximal net pleasure.

Net Pleasure

Total pleasure experienced in a life – total pain.

Experience Machine

A machine capable of giving you any experience or series of experiences.

Final End

Desirable for its own sake and not desirable for the sake of anything else.

Virtue Theory (of the good life)

The good life is the morally virtuous life.

Moral Virtue

A habit or disposition to have the right feelings (emotions + desires) and act according to those feelings.

Function-Dependence

What makes something a good or bad thing of kind K depends on the characteristic function of K.