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Lecture outline Why care about free will? The problem of free will Causal determinism Is human action causally determined? Objection to determinism
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Introduction to Philosophy Jason M. Chang
The Problem of Free Will Introduction to Philosophy Jason M. Chang
Lecture outline Why care about free will? The problem of free
will
Causal determinism Is human action causally determined? Objection
to determinism Why care about free will?
Joe is standing on top of a 3-story building. Suddenly, a strong
gust of wind blows, causing Joe to lose his balance.Joe falls off
the building and lands on a pedestrian below, thereby killing the
pedestrian.Joe, however, miraculously survives. Should we blame and
punish Joe for killing the pedestrian? Note: This example was
created by Dr. Garret Merriam. Why care about free will?
Mo is standing on top of a 3-story building. Mo falls off the
building and lands on a pedestrian below, thereby killing the
pedestrian. It turns out that Mo chose to fall off the building
with the intention of killing the pedestrian. Should we blame and
punish Mo for killing the pedestrian? Note: This example was
created by Dr. Garret Merriam. Why care about free will?
Why the different reactions toward Joe verses Mo? Mo had free will
Joe did not have free will Principle Blaming or punishing someone
requires that they had free will Blaming or punishing someone
requires that they had free will Why care about free will?
Punishing someone requires that they had free will How this plays
out in the legal system Different degrees of criminal homicide
Diminished capacity and insanity defense Question Do we have free
will? Of course we have free will!
Commonsense answer Of course we have free will! Common sense We
have free will Reasons we think we have free will Experiential
reasons I feel that we can do otherwise Example Eating the
chocolate cake I feel compelled to eat the chocolate cake but I
feel I could do otherwise Feeling exists before, during, and after
making the decision The problem of free will The problem of free
will
Ancient and Medieval version of the problem (2) God is all-knowing!
(1) We have free will! The problem of free will
Modern version of the problem (2) Modern science (1) We have free
will! How does modern science conflict with free will? Causal
determinism Imagine an apple falling from the tree.
How do we explain the motion of this object? The motion of all
physical objects in the universe (apples, stars, planets, liquids,
gases, light, energy, etc.) can be explained in terms of scientific
laws. Causal determinism Scientific worldview Causal
determinism
Support Causal determinism Scientific beliefs Everything we know in
Physics Chemistry Biology Psychology Sociology Scientific beliefs
give reason to believe in causal determinism Causal determinism =
the view that all events of physical objects in motion are the
inevitable consequence of both prior events and scientific laws
Causal determinism Example of causal determinism
Imagine an event in which a single domino (D4) falls in a domino
effect series. How did the event come about? D4 Causal determinism
Prior events Scientific laws
(prior dominos falling, me tipping the first domino, etc.)
Scientific laws (law of gravity, laws of thermodynamics, etc.)
Event some domino (D4) falls Determinism All events in the universe
are like this. Oct. 17, 1989, 5:04pm in San Francisco
Causal determinism Oct. 17, 1989, 5:04pm in San Francisco BIG BANG
Present day Big chain of cause and effect Causal determinism La
Places demon
Imagine that determinism is true.Also imagine that a Being (a
Demon) knows the precise location and momentum of every atom in the
universe and all the laws of science.What, in theory, could this
Being do? Pierre-Simon La Place French mathematician and astronomer
The thought experiment Imagine that determinism is true.Also
imagine that a being (a Demon) knows the precise location and
momentum of every atom in the universe and all the laws of
scienceWhat, in theory, could this being do? La Place for such an
intellect nothing would be uncertain and the future just like the
past would be present before its eyes. Pierre-Simon La Place ( ) Is
human action causally determined? Is human action causally
determined?
From the standpoint physics and chemistry Humans are composed of
matter -Oxygen (65%) -Carbon (18%) -Hydrogen (10%) -Nitrogen (3%) %
of matter in the universe is governed by causal laws From the
standpoint of physics and chemistry % of the matter in the universe
is governed by causal laws (physical, chemical, biological) Example
stars, planets, black holes, gases, molecules, trees, pens, dominos
Humans are composed of matter Physical beings Oxygen (65%) Carbon
(18%) Hydrogen (10%) Nitrogen (3%) Calcium (1.5%) Humans are no
exception Humans are no exception Is human action causally
determined?
From the standpoint biology and social science Genes Genes and
environment influenced: Personality Behavior Environment Is human
action causally determined?
From the standpoint biology and social science Imagine someone who
knows you so well that they can predict what you will do or say in
most given situations. Is human action causally determined?
From the standpoint biology and social science Imagine a person
that has complete knowledge of our genes, our past experiences, and
the environment in which we grew up.It is likely that this person
can predict with 100 percent accuracy what we will do or say in a
given situation. From the standpoint of biology and social science
Thought experiment Imagine a being that has knowledge of our genes,
our past experiences, and the environment in which we grew up.
(Maybe a sibling, best friend, parent).It is likely that this
person can predict with greataccuracy what we will do or say in a
given situation. Is human action causally determined?
100 % Prediction accuracy Knowledge of genes, past experiences, and
environment Complete knowledge Is human action causally
determined?
Definition of causal determinism The view that all events
(including human action) are the inevitable consequence of both
prior causes and scientific laws What this means Humans cannot do
otherwise Prior causes dont just influence but determine behavior
Objection to determinism Objection to determinism
The objection:I feel free, so determinism is obviously false!
Objection to determinism
Have you ever done something but were unaware of all the factors
that made you do it ? Poll: Are we ________ aware of all the
factors causing our decision? (1) always (2) sometimes (3) never
Objection to determinism
Biological make-up Past experiences (millions) Current situation
(millions) There are millions of factors that cause a decision Most
of these factors we are ignorant of Misconceptions about
determinism
It is the great complication of motion in man [] it is the
multiplicity of causes that move him [] that persuades him he is a
free agent; if all his motions were simple [] he would perceive all
his actions were necessary [] Baron DHolbach ( ) Misconceptions
about determinism
Our confidence that we can do other than we do is inversely related
to knowledge of our causal story (i.e., the millions of causes that
move us) Knowledge of our causal story Confidence we can do
otherwise Summing up Free will is required for moral responsibility
Belief in free will conflicts with scientific beliefs Science seems
to support causal determinism Causal determinism is the view that
all events are the consequence of previous events and scientific
laws How can we reconcile contemporary scientific worldview with
free will and moral responsibility?