Philosophy Dec. 1st Objective Opener Understand the arguments surrounding Libertarianism by participating in class discussion answering questions.

Section 3.3 Control Yourself Freedom as Self-Determination © 2013 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved. McGraw-Hill

Einstein’s Hard Determinism “I do not believe in free will. Schopenhauer's words: 'Man can do what he wants, but he cannot want what he wants,' accompany me in all situations throughout my life..”

Reid’s Libertarianism To act freely you must be able to want what you want: “If, in any action, he had the power to will what he did, or not to will it, in that action he is free.” In other words, to act freely is to do your own thing.

Libertarianism The doctrine that free actions are caused by selves (agents, persons). Actions caused by your will can fail to be free if your will is not your own.

The Case for Freedom: The Argument from Experience Our experience of making choices is evidence that we have free will. It is not conclusive evidence because we may be mistaken. But from the fact that we may be mistaken, it doesn’t follow that we are mistaken.

The Argument from Deliberation We sometimes deliberate among alternative courses of action. We can deliberate about doing something only if we believe that it is in our power to do it (or not to do it). Believing something to be true, however, doesn’t make it true.

The Neurophysiological Objection Some neurophysiological experiments seem to suggest that decisions to act are made in the brain before we are conscious of them.

Libet’s Experiment Instructions: “Flex your finger to push the button when you feel like it, and tell us where the hand on the clock is when you decide to do that.” The subjects didn’t become conscious of the intention to move their finger until after the movement had started. Does this show that free will is an illusion?

Conscious Awareness vs. Meta-conscious Awareness Conscious awareness is the intention to do something. Meta-conscious awareness is the thought that one is intending to do something. Libet’s experiment measures meta-conscious awareness, not conscious awareness.

Readiness Potential: Necessary but Not Sufficient Alfred Mele suggests that the readiness potential is not a decision to act, but an urge to act. The urge is a necessary condition for action, but it isn’t sufficient. What more is needed is a conscious decision.

Thought Probe: Is Free Won’t Enough for Free Will? Suppose Libet is correct in thinking that conscious will can’t initiate actions but can only negate them. Is having this sort of conscious veto power enough to be held responsible for your actions?

Amgibuous Figures This ambiguous figure can be seen as a young woman or an old one. But you can decide which aspect you will see. Is this a proof of free will?

Agent-Causation vs. Event-Causation Agent-causation occurs when an agent causes an event. Event-causation occurs when one event causes another.

Volition Enabling Properties One event causes another in virtue of the properties it possesses. For example: a log’s burning causes a marshmallow’s cooking in virtue of being hot. Similarly, agents can cause events in virtue of the properties they possess, such as self-consciousness.

Thought Probe: Self-Consciousness and Free Will Reading in Text p222 Sartre and Smullyan suggest that it’s impossible to be self- conscious and not have free will. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Making Rational Choices Making rational choices involves weighing reasons. But how do we decide which reason carries the most weight? If we appeal to another reason, we generate an infinite regress. If we decide without appealing to another reason, the choice appears irrational.

Libertarian Free Choice Consider choosing among going to graduate school, joining the Peace Corps or entering the business world. Suppose that you are torn between these options—there is no decisive reason for choosing one over another. As long as your choice is (i) undetermined at the moment of choice and (ii) performed consciously, intentionally, and purposefully it is a free choice.

Thought Probe: Free Androids Would an android with self- consciousness have free will? If not, is there anything we could give a robot to make it free?