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18 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Taylor I. 1. What two basic beliefs does Taylor begin with as he reflects on the problem of freedom and determinism?
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1. he sometimes deliberates
2. sometimes what he does is his own decision |
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Taylor II. 1. According to soft determinism, when is voluntary behavior free?
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When determinism is true (caused and determined)
When not externally constrained or impeded |
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Taylor II. 2. According to soft determinism, what are the causes of voluntary behavior?
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causes are certain internal states
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Taylor III. 1. What is soft determinism’s response to the question of whether I could have acted otherwise than I did?
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If your desires had been different, the action could have actually been different
-actions are based on your strongest internal desire |
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Taylor III. 2. Why does this response (actions are based on your strongest internal desire) not in fact show that I could have acted otherwise?
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Because your desires can't be any different than what they were
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Taylor IV 1. How does the example of being controlled by an ingenious physiologist refute soft determinism’s notion of freedom?
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Your internal desire told you to "go to the door," but your desire was caused by someone else
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Taylor V. 1. How does the theory of simple indeterminism (the simple denial of determinism) attempt to defend free will?
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Things happen with no cause, which is "free will"
-things that happen randomly are free |
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Taylor V. 2. Why is the theory of simple indeterminism unsatisfactory?
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if events are random, then you don't have control over them, thus no free will
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Taylor VI. 1. Why is determinism a more plausible theory than simple indeterminism?
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Determinism has experience (causes), but there is no room for free will.
Indeterminism has no causes, which is absurd. |
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Taylor VI 2. Why is it impossible for those who accept determinism to deliberate about what they are going to do?
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If determinism is true, you cannot deliberate.
-Taylor believes you can deliberate, proving determinism false :: If things have causes and are determined, you have no input. |
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Taylor VI. 3. Why is determinism incompatible with the belief that it is sometimes up to me?
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If it's already determined, it's never up to you
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Taylor VI. 4. Why is simple indeterminism incompatible with deliberation?
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Deliberation has free will
Indeterminism has no cause, thus no free will |
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Taylor VII. 1. What does Taylor mean by a self-determining being?
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Something that causes, but is not caused (just doing something: free will; wanting to do something: caused, not free)
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Taylor VII. 3. Why is behavior caused by a psychological state (a volition, for example) not necessarily an action?
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An action must have a cause
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Taylor VII. 4. What does Taylor mean by a self (a person)?
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requirements of Taylor's theory make the agent separate from nature
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Taylor VII. 5. How do the statements “My hand causes my pencil to move” and “I cause my hand to move” illustrate two different notions of causation? Why does Taylor suggest using a word other than “causation” for the latter?
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"My hand causes the pencil to move" is caused: no freedom
"I cause my hand to move" is not caused: does not fit antecedent sufficient condition |
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Taylor VII. 6. How does Taylor’s theory of agency avoid the difficulties of simple indeterminism on the one hand, and of determinism on the other?
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Taylor avoids indeterminism by giving an explanation for random occurrences (the agent did it)
He avoids determinism with freedom via agency |
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Taylor VII. 7. How confident is Taylor about the truth of his theory of agency?
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He says that it's a weird, strange, and possibly embarrassing theory, but he goes with it because it matches his data
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