Free will and moral responsibility

When might our actions be considered free?

If not predetermined or without being persuaded by others desires

What sort of things limit our freedom?

Laws (social contract) and socioeconomic factors

What is the relationship between free will and moral responsibility?

We are morally responsible for actions we freely perform

• If I freely do wrong, I should accept the blame

• If I am forced to do an immoral action I am not blameworthy; likewise, if I am forced to do a moral action I am not praiseworthy

Intention is also important when considering moral responsibility

A further requirement of moral action is that a person should be able to distinguish between right and wrong (e.g. Without a psychological or neurological disability)

If we can only blame or praise people for actions they freely and knowingly undertake then human beings must have freedom to act. If people are not free then they cannot make moral choices

Libertarians believe we are free and are morally responsible. Determinists believe our actions are determined by external factors and that we cannot, therefore, be held responsible for our actions

Determinists accept the theory of universal causation - that everything in the universe has a cause. This, they believe, includes human action. Once the cause has occurred, the effect will occur. This means that in theory all events are predictable

Some effects have unknown causes. Even if we don't know the cause of an effect we still acknowledge that there is a cause; take for example the doctor who cannot explain the cause of a disease

Determinists believe human behaviour is determined by causal laws - it is the results of factors such as genetics and environment

Determinists do not claim to know the causes of human behaviour but do claim that such an explanation is theoretically possible.