Free Will: Is Freedom of Choice Really Real?
Instructions:
Readings:
Course Text: Doing Philosophy
Section 3.3, “Control Yourself: Freedom as Self-Determination” (pp.217-227)
This section of Chapter 3 introduces the concepts of libertarianism, agent causation, and event causation, and it explains how each one relates to free will.
Optional Resources:
Web Resource:
Clark, R. (2008) ‘Incompatibilist (nondeterministic) theories of free will’. In Zalta, E.N. (ed.) The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy [Online]. Available from: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/incompatibilism-theories/ (Accessed: 12 October 2011).
Films
I, Robot (2004) [Motion picture]. Directed by Alex Proyas. United States: Twentieth Century Fox. .
The Matrix (1999) [Motion picture]. Directed by Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski. United States: Warner Bros.
To prepare for this assignment:
Review Section 3.3 and the Thought Experiments from the learning resources.
Consider how the assigned Thought Experiments relate to what you have studied thus far in the course.
Consider researching sources outside of the Learning Resources provided this week so that you can gain a better understanding of the topics.
The Assignment:
Respond to each item below in a 2- to 3-paragraphs. You may use this week’s Learning Resources, your own experience, or other outside resources. Be sure to cite any resources you use in your answers in Harvard format.
-What is the “argument from experience” for libertarian free will?
-Explain Benjamin Libet’s experiment and his conclusions about free will.
-What is traditional agent causation? What objections can be raised against it?
-Explain how the newer form of agent causation, in which agent causation is a special type of event causation, helps people understand how it is possible for humans to have free will.
