Exam 5: Free Will

According to the philosophical tradition Churchland opposes, no choice is free unless it is uncaused.

What is the difference between a hard determinist and a soft determinist? Consider an objection to one of these views and explain why it is forceful.

According to Stace, unfree acts are

According to Nagel, all modern scientists accept that the physical universe operates according to completely deterministic principles.

Accord to Levy, Frankfurt-style cases can be understood as a variation of an example from John Locke.

According to Stace, philosophers who deny the existence of free will

According to Churchland, choices are made by the brain.

According to determinism, all human action can be predicted in advance.

Do you think that you could have eaten something different for breakfast than you did eat? Explain what this means to you and why you do or do not think it is true.

The libertarian denies that

How would Churchland's neurobiological approach to free will evaluate the cases of Andrea Yates and the middle-aged Virginian described at the beginning of the reading? Would Churchland think either of these individuals acted freely? Why or why not?

Churchland claims that the traditional understanding of free will must be modified. What is Churchland's argument for this claim? Is the argument convincing? Why or why not?

Why does determinism imply pessimism?

Levy intends the case of Jillian to be a counterexample to the principle of alternative possibilities.

Free action, according to Stace, is caused by psychological states in the agent.

According to Hume, the dispute concerning liberty and necessity is

Do you think we have free will? Explain.

There are no borderline cases on Stace's definition of "free will."

Critics of libertarianism

Do you agree with Stace that his definition of "free will" matches our ordinary use of the term? Explain.