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Free Will |
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An inquiry into the problems and implications of free will.
Free Will explores the determinist rejection of free will through detailed exposition of the central determinist argument and consideration of responses to each of its premises. At every stage familiar examples and case studies help frame and ground the argument.
Free will remains one of the great problems in philosophy. Whether human choices and actions are causally determined or in some way free and the implications of opting for one position or the other on our moral, personal, and social lives continues to challenge philosophers. Written in a clear and uncomplicated style, this introduction to the problem of free will provides readers with a solid grasp of the central issues as well as the ability to analyse and evaluate the ideas and arguments involved.
Free Will explores the determinist rejection of free will through detailed exposition of the central determinist argument and consideration of responses to each of its premises. At every stage familiar examples and case studies help frame and ground the argument. Focusing on a clear, single line of argument allows the author to demonstrate what scrupulous and persistent analytic philosophical inquiry looks and feels like in practice. The manner and approach used throughout encourage the reader to contribute to the debate as an engaged participant.
Free Will will be welcomed by students looking for an engaging and clear introduction to the subject. As a rigorous exercise in philosophical argument it will serve the beginning philosophy student as an excellent spring board into the subject more generally.
Free will remains one of the great problems in philosophy. Whether human choices and actions are causally determined or in some way free and the implications of opting for one position or the other on our moral, personal, and social lives continues to challenge philosophers. Written in a clear and uncomplicated style, this introduction to the problem of free will provides readers with a solid grasp of the central issues as well as the ability to analyse and evaluate the ideas and arguments involved.
Free Will explores the determinist rejection of free will through detailed exposition of the central determinist argument and consideration of responses to each of its premises. At every stage familiar examples and case studies help frame and ground the argument. Focusing on a clear, single line of argument allows the author to demonstrate what scrupulous and persistent analytic philosophical inquiry looks and feels like in practice. The manner and approach used throughout encourage the reader to contribute to the debate as an engaged participant.
Free Will will be welcomed by students looking for an engaging and clear introduction to the subject. As a rigorous exercise in philosophical argument it will serve the beginning philosophy student as an excellent spring board into the subject more generally.
Details
Part of the Central Problems of Philosophy Series (number 1 in series)
192 Pages
ISBN 9780773521339
November 2000
Formats: Paperback, eBook
"Very clearly written, in a plain, accessible, and attractive way and in a style and manner that is approachable and engaging to a high degree. Students will gain a clear and secure sense of a good and effective mode of philosophical discussion and assessment, where positions are presented, analysed and evaluated in a non-dogmatic, non-programmatic way, in careful, open and palpably honest fashion, acknowledging that there can always be more to be said, and that avenues always remain to be explored. It deserves to become a firmly established text for students of this topic." N. J. H. Dent, Professor of Philosophy, University of Birmingham
Graham McFee is professor of philosophy at the University of Brighton. He is vice-president of the British Society of Aesthetics.
Free Will
Graham McFee
Table of Contents
Preface and acknowledgements vi
1 Free will: the issue 1
2 Determinism: exposition 19
3 Determinism: qualifications and clarifications 35
4 Libertarianism: two varieties 53
5 Compatibilism I: the "utilitarian" position 69
6 Compatibilism II: the two-language view 79
7 The irrelevance of determinism 99
8 The very idea of causal necessity 111
9 Conclusions and reflections on philosophical method 137
Appendix: chaos theory and determinism 155
Notes 159
A guide to further reading 169
Bibliography 175
Index 181
Graham McFee
Table of Contents
Preface and acknowledgements vi
1 Free will: the issue 1
2 Determinism: exposition 19
3 Determinism: qualifications and clarifications 35
4 Libertarianism: two varieties 53
5 Compatibilism I: the "utilitarian" position 69
6 Compatibilism II: the two-language view 79
7 The irrelevance of determinism 99
8 The very idea of causal necessity 111
9 Conclusions and reflections on philosophical method 137
Appendix: chaos theory and determinism 155
Notes 159
A guide to further reading 169
Bibliography 175
Index 181
