Free Will and Responsibility: Deep Self View

Introduction

The lecture explores the concept of free will and its implications for responsibility.
Many believe determinism negates free will, arguing external factors dictate our actions.
The aim is to discuss an alternative view of responsibility that doesn't rely on traditional notions of free will.

Initial definition of Free Will

Free will is commonly defined as the ability to do otherwise, implying we have choices and can select different paths.

The Problem of Determinism

Determinism poses a challenge to free will, suggesting our actions are predetermined by factors outside our control such as natural laws, God, or fate.
Even our state of mind, feelings, and personality are considered determined.
If determinism is true, our choices are predictable given enough information about the variables and natural laws determining those choices.

Example: Coin Flip

Coin flip outcomes are determined by wind resistance, force and angle of the flick and, given enough information about these variables, are theoretically predictable.

Implications of Determinism

Determinism if true negates the capacity to choose otherwise.
If determinism is true, we lack free will.
Without free will, it challenges the basis for holding people responsible for their actions.
Impacts on self governance and the idea of being in charge of our lives which are considered important for a good life.

Wolf's Alternative: Responsibility and its True Basis

Wolf reframes the issue of responsibility by focusing on the factors we consider when we hold people accountable.
She suggests looking at real world situations like court cases and social interactions.
It is important to understand what background information we use when deciding if someone is accountable for their actions.

Factors in Determining Responsibility

Predicting Future Behavior: Important to determine someone's actions reflect them as a person and if they will continue to do good or bad, depending on the action.
- If a friend lies, determining the reason is important because if they lie habitually they will probably lie again.
- If they lied because they felt embarrassed, this shows they want to avoid the cause of embarrassment, which allows us to react differently.
Awareness and Engagement: Whether a person knows what they did and the consequences of those actions; if they have an accurate understanding of the situation.
- For example, hitting someone accidentally vs. intentionally elicits different reactions because someone’s behavior in the future is greatly affected.
- Sleepwalking example: if someone hits another person while sleepwalking, they are not engaged with reality as it truly is.
Consideration for Children: We don't hold very young children accountable because they do not understand the world.

The Role of Intoxication

Being inebriated involves complexities, and the particular action and surrounding factors matter.
Getting drunk and being annoying is different than drunk driving, which endangers lives.
Driving drunk involves the decision to do something dangerous while engagement with the world is inhibited so the person is culpable for that initial decision.
The seriousness of the stakes affects how engaged one needs to be with the world to be held accountable.
Wolf suggests we should care about what we are doing in practice and if it is justifiable, rather than magic ability to do otherwise.

Wolf’s Deep Self View

The values have to do with reflection.
This view suggests responsibility depends on certain entities that we hold responsible but some we don’t.
Adult human beings vs. babies.
Pets vs other animals.

Reflection and Self-Awareness

Humans can reflect upon themselves, their actions, correct course, and personalities where dogs cannot.
Humans can get drunk, be annoying, and choose to quit it while a dog will just exhibit the same behavior.
Humans have a capacity to reflect on themselves and the world and have the ability to improve their understanding.
While not only humans can do this, humans certainly can and are looked at when it comes to responsibility.
Reflection is a capacity and awareness like any other, not free will.

Reflection as a Capacity

Reflection behaves according to natural laws.
Our ability to reflect depends on our brains, how we're raised, and our practice.
Some are more reflective than others, and it is affected by tangible things like how hungry you are.
Environmental and historical factors will also affect the capacity which are not under your control.
This does not mean the capacity is not real, it just means all capacities rely on environment.

Examples of Capacities

Photosynthesis: plants need water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide to photosynthesize. When they don’t have enough resources they cannot photosynthesize.
The capacities around being warm blooded or the capacity to see or breathe.
These things work according to natural law, they're determined but they are still a capacity that other things don’t have.
Like rocks don’t have capacities.
Babies don’t have these capacities.
The capacity of reflection determines if we hold people responsible.

Degree of Reflection

Reflection will vary based on circumstances.
Under the best circumstances when someone is calm and has lots of time, they're the best at reflection; when someone is having a panic attack they are worse at reflection.
Reflection is the basic capacity to care about.

Components of Reflection

Deep Self: Thinking about yourself.
This is a capacity that grows over time and that children don’t have.
This includes, desires, goals, and what are called second order desires (desires about desires).

Second-Order Desires Defined

A second order desire is how you wish you were.
- For example, wanting to eat more vegetables.
These desires don’t always match but when they do your deep self is functioning in your behavior.
Through practice and self reflection you can make your first order and second order desires match.

Values and The Deep Self

These are what we think is important and are in line with our behaviors.
We might think it’s good to be kind but our behavior is not always as kind as we think we should be.
The values that we hold and how closely we are leading them is a feature of your deep self.
You can also have bad morals.
Just because we have reflected on values and chose them doesn’t mean they're good.
The ability to reflect is what makes it justifiable for us to judge you about your values because it is thought that you can revise them through reflection if wanted.
With the correct reflection you can change, but reflection is not perfect and does not give total control.

Sanity and Understanding of The World

You can't only be in your head because you have to know what you are actually like.
Sanity- being able to understand the world.
You are able to respond to reason that the world gives you; otherwise it is impossible to revise yourself.
This is closely tied to reflection.

Degree of Sanity

Can be more or less responsive at different times and in different situations.

Relation to True Belief

You don't have to have a perfect understanding of reality to be held responsible.
You can have false beliefs and still be responsive to reason, as long as you're responsive we still count as sane within her view.
If you have a capacity for reflection than you can be held responsible for your false beliefs.

Sanity as Engagement

If there is a totally inaccurate understanding of reality and the person does not respond to evidence, people will not be held accountable.

The Infinite Orders of Desire

First order, second order, third order, etc.
The more reflective you are, the more you practice, the faster the chain goes.
But that patriarchy is trying to control what I eat.

Example of the Implication of the Infinite Orders of Desire

A baby example
If you're holding a baby responsible you have made a mistake, they don’t have other selves in their head, they are not responding to the world.

The Application of Determinism to Wolf's Deep Self View

Determinism applies; you have to know what both are, does it apply?
Determines if it applies
How do we apply this?

The Outcome

Determinism would apply because the lenses you look at are due to external things.
The things we are referencing are ultimately determined.
Deep self and the ability to be sane has been determined.
Babies aren’t choosing to not respond to reason.