Philosophy quiz 3 review (copy)

freedom= negative restraints removed for freedom/ positive= restraints removed for freedom

Life's outcomes are both out and in our control our environment does affect the outcomes, but by making the right decisions determinism can lead to positive positive outcomes (nature v nuture)

Free will (“libertarianism”/”voluntarism”) - some acts of the will do not have determining causes

Determinism - our actions are determined by natural causes and could not have been otherwise

Compatibilism - the belief that free will and determinism are compatible: they can both be true at the same time

• Free will equals basic idea decide to lift hand or not

• Free will as uncaused (neuron snap to the next, lead to cause an effect/behavior leads to muscles, leads the hand lifts)

• free will as uncoerced (no one has gun to their head)

• free will= what you could have done otherwise

Freedom of the will Shopenhauer

shopenahuer= idealist/ pessimist not determinist

1. We will seems necessary for society( feedback, and praise) and to for people to try to improve and be good

2. Self-consciousness seems to tell us we are free

3. Science seems to tell us, we are not free (neurons control our actions)

Freedom concept is negative absence of any hindrance and restraint equals manifest power equal positive restrain can be physical

Inanimate beings equal originate movements from their own will voluntarily free with no obstacles

Generally freedom seen as positive/ ability to act free as bird in the sky. Only the free are happy nation, free equals, govern by law given itself these laws of its own will equals physical freedom.

intellectual freedom equals voluntary plus involuntary with respect of thought

Moral freedom equals man without material obstacles equals restrained by motives, threats, promises, dangers, if absent would've expressed his will

Summary of the issues:

1. Free will seems necessary for society and for people to try to improve and be good.

2. Self-consciousness seems to tell us we are free.

3. Science seems to tell us we are not free.

necessary vs contingent

• necessary=1+1=2, determinism from science

contingent= color of the shirt you are wearing

Libet’s experiments “Neuroscience vs philosophy: Taking aim at free will”

• Benjamin Libett participants hooked up to EEG to watch clock face with dot sweeping around it when participants felt urge to move a finger note dots position which recorded brain activity several hundred milliseconds before people expressed the conscious intent to move (readiness potential)/

• EEG only looked at limited area of brain activity

• brain instructed hand to move —> consciously chose to move hand —> hand moves

objections-

• The notion of choice in these experiments are not representative

• Still not 100% predictive

5. An action being determined by causes doesn’t violate free will as long as they are the “right sort” of causes.

Kathleen Vohs 2008 experiment

• Social psychologist study how people behave when they are prompted to think determinism is true

• Two passages= one suggesting behavior boils down to environmental/genetic factors not under person control, other article about what influences behavior

• After reading these articles, participants math problems led to glitch, displaying answers to click away= those who read the answers were more likely to read about how genetic factors influence behavior

• Denying free will equals provides ultimate excuse for behavior

• Determinism makes people less moral, believing in free way more likely to be moral

• As you start interpreting peoples behaviors in real life, impossible to uphold this idea of not having free will

Determinism versus Schopenhauer( pessimistic)

Physical freedom, absence of material hindrances to action

Moral freedom, absence of determination of actions by motives, but determines will motive

What motivates people= character, guilt, loyalty, expectations, genetics

Motives determine will morally right to thing to do leads to action 

examples of motive, money, well-being Green marker leads to connection between green marker/ could I have decided to pick the blue marker equals decided by motive

Motive determine will choosing between train or city bike= if you feel sick or the train is fast, you will choose the train

Schopenhauer equals conscious of all motives, determining will lead the decision lead action

Schopenhauer “when it asserts, then always refers to the ability to act accordance with the will”

“Self-conscious affirms the freedom of action when the willing is pre-supposed but what is being inquired into is precisely the freedom of willing”\

Freedom of three step process

1. Motives are raid objects presented

2. Will violation bodily activation not self conscious between one and two motives do not equal will

3. Three action perform freedom between step two and three

   Specific will equals in that specific moment could I have chosen a different option equals no according to Schopenhauer not free

4. If you could have chosen something some type of choosing btw the choices

• Physical freedom equals straightforward/ moral freedom equals complex motives, influence the whale without being absolute constraints

• Necessity as concept equals crucial to understanding freedom something is necessary if it follows a sufficient ground relationship between freedom and necessity freedom implies to absence of necessity

• Empirical concept of freedom suggest that one is free when they can act according to the web lead to further inquiries about the nature of violation and whether it can be independent of prior causes

• Liberum arbitrium- indifferent suggest that true freedom would mean being entirely independent of any cars difficult to conceive

• Self-consciousness aware of one's own self distinct from once awareness of external objects

  Freedom of the Will-solutions

  Schopenhauer

• Rationalist view of science: causes are grounds; grounds are sufficient

• ❖  denies the distinction between causation and constraint; the boundary is fuzzy

• ❖  freedom is destiny: a choice made outside of time: this is your character and your

  whole life; every decision you make in time is determined.

Ayer

• Ayer defines determinism as the view that every event, including human actions, is determined by preceding events in accordance with the laws of nature.

• Freedom and Necessity

  connection to morality:

  1. punishments, praise, and rights only if ppl. responsible;

  2. only responsible if free;

  3. only free if could have done otherwise;

  4. could only have done otherwise if uncaused

1. Determinism: Ayer defines determinism as the view that every event, including human actions, is determined by preceding events in accordance with the laws of nature.

2. Libertarianism vs. Compatibilism:

   • Libertarianism argues that free will is incompatible with determinism.

   • Compatibilism, which Ayer advocates, suggests that freedom can exist even within a deterministic framework.

   • introduces the idea of "conditional" statements, such as "If I want to do X, then I can do X," illustrating how desires inform our sense of freedom.

   • ex-"If I want to pass my exams, then I must study hard."

     This is a conditional statement where the desire to pass exams ("If I want to pass my exams") is the antecedent, and the action necessary to achieve that goal ("then I must study hard") is the consequent. The statement implies that studying hard is necessary, provided that the goal of passing exams exists.

     This type of conditional highlights a relationship between a goal (the desire to pass exams) and the means to achieve that goal (studying hard).

   • If individuals act freely (i.e., in accordance with their desires), they can be held morally accountable for their actions, even if those actions are determined

   • nuanced understanding of human behavior, acknowledging both the influence of determinism and the experience of freedom.

   • A.J. Ayer's "Freedom and Necessity" provides a compelling argument for compatibilism, suggesting that freedom can exist within a deterministic universe

   • “For he is anxious to show that men are capable of acting freely in order to infer that they can be morally responsible for what they do. But if it is a matter of pure chance that a man should act in one way rather than another, he may be free but he can hardly be responsible. And indeed when a man’s actions seem to us quite unpredictable, when, as we say, there is no knowing what he will do, we do not look upon him as a moral agent. We look upon him rather as a lunatic. (620)= scientific reason why something happens/ no cause= worse for freedom/ responsible for what you do

   • Action does not have a casual explanation (pure chance) = we would not call it free

     not free will= no praise/blame/self-praise/ no responsibility for actions

   • actions being spontaneous= ordination of atom is the way it is= works for science but not humans/ denies that you can only be free if your actions are uncaused= free will= all actions caused

     ayer= all actions are only responsible if you could have done otherwise/ cannot act otherwise as you do if you are constrained (compelled or forced) to do what you do

   • free will=absense of constraints not absence of causes=compatibilism

     negative freedom=NOT compelled/not forced=free/ not think abt what do u have to do to be free /nothing thinking about what is true freedom

   • postivive freedom= acting according to characteristics = like teaching —> come to class= free / forced to limit political beleifs lose job= not free

   • not having cause=take away responsibility= haven’t decided to do something = no choice= not free will /not free (out of blue to do something/ Touretts not result of belief do not hold responsibility for blurting out something offensive = reflex

   • For it is not, I think, causality that freedom is to be contrasted with, but constraint… my action is causally determined it does not necessarily follow that I am constrained to do it: and this is equivalent to saying that it does not necessarily follow that I am not free.”= freedom comes from causality

   • Ayer= Maya is free to stay with sick mom = no one forced her to stay= being caused to do something=freedom

   • compatibilsim = Free = without being forced to do something (playing the piano)/ (blackmail)= not free/ negative consequence disrupts natural decision process= coercion

   • coercion= include social factors/ chemical imbalance/ drugs

     
   

3. Ayer+Hume= Parenting being told to each vegteables = coercision/ little kids=not free but needed to protect them

4. synopsis Ayer

   ●  Ayer denies that you can only be free if your actions are uncaused. In fact, people can NOT be considered responsible agents if their actions are uncaused.

   ●  Therefore “free will” must be the result of causes.

   ●  But Ayer accepts that you are only responsible if you could have done otherwise. You are only “free” if you could have done otherwise.

   ●  You cannot act otherwise that you do if you are constrained (other words are

   compelled or forced) to do what you do.

   ●  Therefore free will is the absence of constraints, not the absence of causes. This is compatibilism.

   ●  Another way to put it: there is a “normal” causal chain leading from belief and desire to action given “our” mind and “our” personality; if this is not interfered with, then the result is “up to us”.

   Freedom of the Will-solutions

   Ayer

   • ❖  Empiricist view of science: causes are constant conjunctions only, no force

   • ❖  makes the distinction between causation and constraint

   • ❖  freedom is negative: absence of constraint or disruption; action according to

     healthy psychology (beliefs and desires)

   Hume “of liberty and necessity”

   • compatibilism," allows for human freedom while maintaining the existence of causal determinism.

   • hume +ayer same ideology

   • Determinism holds that all events, including human actions, are the result of preceding causes, whereas libertarians argue that human beings are capable of free actions, independent of causal chains.

   • necessity as the principle that everything in nature follows uniform laws of cause and effect.

   • When one event occurs, it follows necessarily from previous events according to these laws.

   • However, Hume notes that this "necessity" is not something inherent in the objects or events themselves but is derived from the constant conjunction of events and the habit of our mind to expect one thing to follow another.

     • Example: We observe that fire consistently burns wood. From this constant conjunction of events (fire and burning), we infer a necessary connection, though this necessity is a product of the mind.

     • human actions. He argues that human behavior is similarly governed by causal laws. Just as natural events follow cause and effect, so too do human actions stem from motives, desires, and circumstances.

       • Example: If someone is hungry, they are more likely to seek food. Their behavior is determined by their internal state (hunger) and external conditions (availability of food).

       • is a salesman advertising to you effect your choice of buying/not buying= is it coercion?

       • Hume redefines liberty to mean not the ability to act independently of any cause, but rather the freedom to act according to one's desires, motives, and reasoning without external constraint or compulsion.

       • Negative Liberty: The absence of external obstacles or constraints. This is Hume’s conception of liberty—freedom to act as one wills, as long as nothing external is preventing one from doing so.

       • eals with the complex problem of free will (liberty) and determinism (necessity). Hume seeks to reconcile the apparent conflict between these two concepts by arguing that they are not, in fact, incompatible(coexist/ are compatible). His approach, known as "compatibilism," allows for human freedom while maintaining the existence of causal determinism. Here's a detailed breakdown of the key ideas and arguments Hume presents:

         1. The Problem: Free Will vs. Determinism

         Hume begins by stating that the dispute over liberty and necessity is as old as philosophy itself. The central problem revolves around whether human actions are determined by causes (necessity) or whether individuals can act freely (liberty). Determinism holds that all events, including human actions, are the result of preceding causes, whereas libertarians argue that human beings are capable of free actions, independent of causal chains.

         2. Hume’s Definition of Necessity

         Hume defines necessity as the principle that everything in nature follows uniform laws of cause and effect. When one event occurs, it follows necessarily from previous events according to these laws. However, Hume notes that this "necessity" is not something inherent in the objects or events themselves but is derived from the constant conjunction of events and the habit of our mind to expect one thing to follow another.

       • Example: We observe that fire consistently burns wood. From this constant conjunction of events (fire and burning), we infer a necessary connection, though this necessity is a product of the mind.

         3. Application to Human Actions

         Hume extends this reasoning to human actions. He argues that human behavior is similarly governed by causal laws. Just as natural events follow cause and effect, so too do human actions stem from motives, desires, and circumstances.

       • Example: If someone is hungry, they are more likely to seek food. Their behavior is determined by their internal state (hunger) and external conditions (availability of food).

       • is a salesman advertising to you effect your choice of buying/not buying= is it coercion?

         4. The Meaning of Liberty (Free Will)

         Hume redefines liberty to mean not the ability to act independently of any cause, but rather the freedom to act according to one's desires, motives, and reasoning without external constraint or compulsion.

       • Negative Liberty: The absence of external obstacles or constraints. This is Hume’s conception of liberty—freedom to act as one wills, as long as nothing external is preventing one from doing so.

       • Compatibilism: Hume’s central claim is that liberty (the ability to act according to one’s will) and necessity (the existence of causal determinism) are compatible. Being determined by causes does not we negate the freedom to act, as long as the person is not being coerced or forced by external factors.

       • necessity" is often understood as something contrary to freedom, but Hume suggests that this is a confusion. Properly understood, necessity merely refers to the regularity and predictability of actions based on causes. Similarly, liberty is not the absence of necessity but the freedom from external constraints.

     • Hume’s View on Moral Responsibility: People can be judged morally based on their character, intentions, and actions. Since human behavior follows consistent patterns based on motives, we can assign blame or praise based on those motives, which reflect the person's character.

       rationalist view of causation

       1. Rationalist epistemology: All knowledge comes from necessary and a priori truth

       2. Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR): the necessary and a priori truth that everything must have a reason, cause, or ground.

       3. Meaning of “sufficient”: if X is sufficient for Y, X is all you need, if you have X, you can guarantee Y, If X then Y.

       4. Therefore all our actions and volitions (Y) have metaphysically sufficient grounds that determine their existence (X)

   • Example:

     If someone argues that your decision to go for a run today (Y) is fully determined by your desire for fitness, the time available, and the nice weather (X), then all of those conditions together (X) form metaphysically sufficient grounds. If those conditions exist, then your action of going for a run (Y) necessarily follows.

     empiricist view of causation

     1. Empiricist epistemology: All knowledge comes from the experience

     2. we have no experience of a force or a metaphysically sufficient anything

     3. we do experience constant (repeated) conjunctions of X "sufficient grounds" cause the actions or volitions (Y)

     4. this repeated experience leads us to a feeling of expectation of Y when we experience X

     5. Therefore in causation there is pattern but no compelling force.

        "sufficient grounds" (X) are what cause the actions or volitions (Y)

     Might be on quiz

     • Problem: Buridan’s Ass

     • donkey placed between equally distance pails of water - which will he choose?

       Will the Donkey die of thirst?

       Answer:According to compatibilism, the donkey is unconstrained and will therefore freely die of thirst, which is absurd.

     • Problem: incontinence- drug addict

       Question

       Is the addict acting freely?

       Answer: according to compatibilism, addiction is not constraint, and therefore even if the addict hates their own weakness, they freely maintain their addiction, which is not absurd but seems wrong.

     • Problem: the classroom

       Are you remaining here freely?

       Answer: since you decided to say and were able to stay, compatibilists say you stayed freely. But since I had secretly locked the door you were (temporarily) prisoners and couldn’t have chosen otherwise.The idea that you can freely remain locked in prison is absurd.

     • Practice quiz

     • empiricist- prior experience, cause is a pattern= cannot see force, does this happen if this happens (cause=prior event ) cause=

     • determinism =every action has cause

Multiple Choice Test on Free Will, Determinism, and Freedom

1. What is the basic idea of free will?

A. The ability to lift your hand or not, based on your desires
B. The absence of all causes for your actions
C. The need for external forces to decide your actions
D. The presence of coercion when making decisions

2. According to Schopenhauer, what motivates people's will?

A. Spontaneous desires that are uncaused
B. Random events with no relation to past choices
C. Motives such as character, guilt, loyalty, and expectations
D. Pure chance with no moral implications

3. Which of the following is true according to compatibilism?

A. Free will and determinism cannot coexist
B. Free will exists only when there is no cause
C. Determinism and free will can both be true at the same time
D. Human actions are uncaused and unpredictable

4. Which experiment challenged the idea of free will by showing brain activity before conscious decisions?

A. Vohs’ experiment on morality and determinism
B. Hume's "Of Liberty and Necessity"
C. Ayer’s analysis of coercion and free will
D. Libet’s experiment on readiness potential

5. What is the main argument of Ayer's compatibilism?

A. Freedom means being able to act without any prior causes
B. Free will requires that actions are uncaused and spontaneous
C. Free will is the absence of constraints, not the absence of causes
D. People are only free if they are coerced by external forces

6. What is Schopenhauer's view of moral freedom?

A. It is the absence of material obstacles but determined by motives
B. It requires freedom from all motives and desires
C. It means acting independently of any external or internal factors
D. It is a state where no external cause can influence the will

7. How does the rationalist view of causation define “sufficient grounds”?

A. It requires repeated conjunctions of events with no explanation
B. It is the necessary condition for an event, where X guarantees Y
C. It is random and does not rely on causes or prior events
D. It does not involve any pattern, only spontaneous events

Meaning of “sufficient”: if X is sufficient for Y, X is all you need, if you have X, you

• can guarantee Y, If X then Y.

• Therefore all our actions and volitions (Y) have metaphysically sufficient

  grounds that determine their existence (X)

8. What does the empiricist view of causation emphasize?

A. That all knowledge comes from a priori truths
B. That we experience constant conjunctions of events, leading to expectations
C. That actions are determined by metaphysically sufficient grounds
D. That causation requires no repeated patterns in human experience

9. According to Hume, what is the meaning of liberty in the context of free will?

A. The ability to act without any external or internal causes
B. The ability to act according to one’s desires without external constraint
C. Complete independence from any desire or motive
D. A state where there are no causal laws affecting human behavior

10. Which of the following is NOT an example of negative freedom?

A. Free from being physically forced to act
B. The ability to act without external obstacles
C. Acting according to one’s desires and goals
D. Being constrained by material circumstances

11. According to Schopenhauer, what happens between the presentation of motives and the will?

A. The will is self-conscious and independent of motives
B. Motives do not lead to action, only random choices do
C. The will is determined by the strongest motives leading to action
D. The will is entirely free from any external or internal influence

12. What did Vohs’ 2008 experiment suggest about the belief in determinism?

A. Belief in determinism made people act more morally
B. People who believed in determinism were more likely to cheat
C. Free will led people to excuse immoral behavior
D. Determinism had no effect on moral behavior

13. How does Ayer define determinism?

A. All actions are caused by external coercion only
B. All events, including human actions, are determined by preceding events according to natural laws
C. Determinism exists only when actions are uncaused and random
D. Determinism requires that people are morally responsible for their actions

14. Which of the following best describes "negative liberty" according to Hume?

A. Acting without any internal desires or motives
B. The absence of external obstacles or constraints
C. Freedom from both internal and external causes
D. The ability to act independently of natural laws

15. What does "freedom of the will" involve according to Schopenhauer?

A. The ability to act with no consideration for motives
B. The assertion of a will that aligns with motives and leads to action
C. Freedom from any past or future influences
D. Complete randomness in decision-making processes

Harder questions

1. Which of the following best captures A.J. Ayer's definition of "free will" within the framework of compatibilism?

• A. Free will exists only if actions are uncaused.

• B. Free will is the absence of external constraints but still operates within a deterministic framework.

• C. Free will means acting entirely independent of desires or motives.

• D. Free will can only exist if no prior causes determine an action.

Answer: B

2. Schopenhauer’s concept of "freedom of the will" suggests that:

• A. All human actions are purely spontaneous, not determined by prior motives.

• B. Freedom is the absence of necessity, and the will is entirely free from causal influence.

• C. The will is free only in the absence of external coercion but constrained by internal motives and character.

• D. Humans are fundamentally free, and moral freedom is always independent of environmental factors.

Answer: C

3. According to Hume’s compatibilist theory, which of the following best describes the relationship between "necessity" and "liberty"?

• A. Liberty and necessity are contradictory and cannot coexist in human actions.

• B. Necessity refers to strict determinism, while liberty refers to acting without any internal or external causes.

• C. Liberty exists when actions align with desires and motives, even if those actions follow from necessity.

• D. Necessity ensures that actions are uncaused, while liberty means actions follow purely from free will.

Answer: C

4. In the context of determinism, which of the following objections highlights a fundamental challenge to compatibilism?

• A. Libertarianism claims that only uncaused actions can be morally responsible.

• B. Determinism allows for moral responsibility as long as internal desires dictate the action.

• C. The "donkey problem" suggests that determinism leads to irrational consequences if two identical choices are present.

• D. Compatibilism denies the possibility of external constraints impacting one's actions.

Answer: C

5. Which of the following statements reflects Schopenhauer's view on motives and free will?

• A. Free will is determined entirely by the absence of any internal or external motivation.

• B. Motives are irrelevant to moral freedom; only spontaneous actions qualify as free.

• C. The will is influenced and determined by motives, but these motives do not compromise one’s moral responsibility.

• D. Motives are random and unpredictable, which makes human actions morally irrelevant.

Answer: C

6. According to Libet’s experiments on free will, what does the "readiness potential" (RP) imply about the nature of decision-making?

• A. Conscious decisions precede brain activity, indicating true free will.

• B. Brain activity leading to movement is spontaneous and uncaused.

• C. Brain activity begins before conscious awareness, suggesting that decisions might be determined before conscious intent.

• D. The readiness potential proves that free will is unaffected by prior brain processes.

Answer: C

7. Which of the following accurately describes Ayer's critique of the idea that an action being uncaused makes it free?

• A. An action being uncaused makes it impossible to assign moral responsibility.

• B. Uncaused actions are always morally superior to caused actions.

• C. Uncaused actions can only be considered free if they are spontaneous.

• D. Actions without causes are a sign of mental instability, not freedom.

Answer: A

8. In Hume’s analysis of liberty and necessity, how does he reconcile human moral responsibility with determinism?

• A. By arguing that causation only applies to external events, not internal human decisions.

• B. By redefining liberty as acting according to one's will, which is determined by motives and desires.

• C. By suggesting that all human actions are the result of random chance, removing the problem of necessity.

• D. By asserting that moral responsibility exists only when actions are spontaneous and uncaused.

Answer: B

9. Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the difference between negative and positiveconceptions of freedom?

• A. A person is free to choose their profession (positive freedom), but they are constrained by laws preventing them from stealing (negative freedom).

• B. A person is compelled to study for an exam because they desire to pass, even though they have no external pressures.

• C. A person locked in a room chooses to stay, believing they are acting freely, which is a false case of negative freedom.

• D. A person born into a wealthy family (positive freedom) chooses not to use their wealth to avoid moral responsibility (negative freedom).

Answer: A

10. Which philosophical problem does Buridan’s Ass illustrate in the context of free will and determinism?

• A. The impossibility of making free choices between equally desirable outcomes.

• B. The paradox of moral responsibility when choices are determined by external factors.

• C. The conflict between rational decision-making and spontaneous actions.

• D. The randomness of decision-making in the absence of external constraints.

Answer: A