The importance of free will

Human autonomy and dignity

Value of deliberation

Deserving praise and condemnation

Moral responsibility

What is free will?

The ability to act freely

Our actions are free if they are under our control.

David Hume defines freedom as “a power of acting or of not acting, according to the determination of the will.” (1748, sect.viii, part 1)

David Hume

Freedom of actionDefinition 1:

Free will is the ability to do what we choose to do.

We are unrestrained.

Problem: is the choice free?

Is an animal free just because it can make choices? What about a computer?

Is a brain-washed person free? A hypnotized person?

CompatibilismDefinition 2:

A person is free if they are able to make choices rationally on the basis of their goals, desires and values.

People are not at the mercy of every passing desire.

People act according to second-order desires (Frankfurt).

Problem: Are the goals, values or second-order desires free?

Harry Frankfurt

Libertarianism or Hard Determinism

Definition 3:

A person is only free if their choices are underdetermined

Genuine (undetermined) ability to do otherwise

The garden of forking paths

DeterminismDeterminism vs. fate

Fate: certain actions or futures are fated to us, in spite of our own desires or our efforts to change things

Determinism: every thought and every action is determined by something outside of ourselves (e.g. God or the state of the universe before we were born)

Determinism by GodGod made us in full knowledge of everything we would

be and do.

Determinism by physical lawsEvery thought or decision we make is determined by

physical processes in the brainThe laws of nature work the same way within the brain

as out in the worldThe mind is the brain

LibertarianismLibertarianism:

Free will is possible only if determinism is false. We do have free will. Therefore determinism is false.

Problems: 1) Indeterminism doesn’t help2) Nothing can be ultimately self-generated,

therefore nothing can be completely free or completely responsible for being what it is

Hard determinismHard determinism

Free will is only possible if determinism is false. But determinism is true. Therefore, we do not have free will.

Problems:1) It seems like we have free will.2) There seems to be a difference between free actions and unfree actions.3) If there is no free will, a carefully considered plan is no more free than the act of a person under hypnosis.

No free will, no how-ismThe concept of free will is incoherent.

Free will is impossible whether determinism is true or not.

Determinism makes our actions unfree. Indeterminism also makes our actions unfree.

Free will requires self-generation, which is logically impossible

Free will is incoherent – not even possible to imagine.

Problem: If free will is incoherent, the term “free will” has no meaning. But surely it means something!

Summary of possible stances1) Compatibilism (soft determinism)

2) Libertarianism

2) Hard determinism

4) No free will, no how (free will is incoherent)

The importance of free will, revisitedHuman autonomy and dignity: are we less if we are not

free?

Meaningfulness of deliberation: does it make sense to deliberate if our actions are determined by physical laws

Deserving praise and blame: does it make sense to praise or blame people for their actions, if their actions are not free?

Moral responsibility: does it make sense to punish someone for an act that was not freely willed?

Recommended Readings

Andrew Morton, “Free Will” in Philosophy in Practice, Ch. 14.4-14.5, on reserve in the Philosophy Dept. Office

Thomas Nagel, “Free Will” in What Does It All Mean?, Chapter 6, on reserve in the Philosophy Dept. Office

Stephen Law, “Do We Ever Deserve to Be Punished” in The Philosophy Gym, Chapter15, on reserve in the Philosophy Dept. Office