New Recording 60

Free Will and Determinism

• Concept of Free Will

  • Human perception of potential choices affects our feeling of control over future decisions.

  • Examples of choices: Completing community college vs pursuing a PhD.

• Debates in Philosophy

  • Difficulties for libertarianism arise when questioning the nature of actions if they are not caused.

  • Randomness does not equate to freedom. Acknowledges the challenge:

    • If actions are random, they lack intentionality.

    • Libertarians argue actions can be tied to purposes and intentions.

• Connection between Intentions and Actions

  • Key question: How do intentions affect actions without causing them?

  • If intentions don't cause actions, their influence remains unclear.

Philosophical Stances on Free Will

• Hard Determinism

  • Claims free will does not exist—it's an illusion.

  • Argues life events are determined by causal chains beyond personal control.

• Soft Determinism

  • Affirms that while determinism exists, we still experience a sense of free will.

  • Accepts that some choices involve genuine freedom despite determinism’s restrictions.

• Libertarianism

  • Differentiates itself by asserting that not all actions are predetermined.

  • Proposes that at least some actions allow genuine choice, enabling one to affect future outcomes.

Distinction Between Views

• Existence of Free Will

  • Hard Determinism: No free will.

  • Soft Determinism and Libertarianism: Yes, some form of free will exists.

• Truth of Determinism

  • Hard Determinism and Soft Determinism agree on the truth of determinism.

  • Libertarian view: Determinism applies to some areas but not all human actions.

• Definition of Free Action

  • Hard Determinism and Libertarianism: Free actions are those under the control of the agent and not predetermined.

  • Soft Determinists argue that actions can still be free even if they are influenced by larger deterministic forces.

The Nature of Free Will and Morality

• Frankfurt's Principle of Alternate Possibilities

  • Morally responsible only if one could have acted otherwise. Challenges hard determinism.

  • Introduces the concept of moral responsibility even when determinism appears absolute.

• Example of Black and Jones

  • Scenario where Black manipulates Jones to commit a bank robbery.

  • Critique of whether determinism precludes moral responsibility.

  • Frankfurt argues that even without alternate possibilities, Jones retains moral responsibility due to his intentions.

Implications for Criminal Justice

• Determinism's Influence on Justice

  • Addresses the moral consequences of actions in a deterministic world.

  • Suggests legal systems must exist to maintain social order and protect citizens, regardless of moral culpability.

Hume's View on Free Will**

• Mental Processes

  • Hume posits that the mind consists of a bundle of impressions (beliefs, desires).

  • Actions are influenced by the strongest desire among competing motivations.

  • Flexibility of will—potentially acting differently with different strongest desires.

• Critique of Libertarianism

  • Challenges the libertarian notion that the self (the I) is separate and in control.

  • Questions how free choices can emerge from a deterministic framework of desires.

Conclusion

• The discourse on free will involves nuanced positions about human agency, responsibility, and the relationship between determinism and personal freedom.

• Key implications for ethics, legal structures, and social expectations surface within this debate.