Philosophy Exam 3 (Set 3)

Front 1

Am I morally responsible for my actions?

Back 1

Most philosophers hold that moral responsibility and its connection to free will: we are morally responsible for our actions if our action is a result of free will. (Also applicable to a legal situation. If someone has abducted me and is holding my finger over the trigger and I am compelled to shoot I couldn't do otherwise. I have no choice.) If we could have done otherwise we would be responsible since we can't we are not responsible.

Front 2

When are we morally responsible? When are we not morally responsible?

Back 2

we are morally responsible for our actions if our action is a result of free will. (Also applicable to a legal situation. If someone has abducted me and is holding my finger over the trigger and I am compelled to shoot I couldn't do otherwise. I have no choice.) If we could have done otherwise we would be responsible since we can't we are not responsible.

Front 3

What are the 3 statements which make up the core problem of free will and determinisim?

Back 3

1. There are very strong reasons to think that the world is deterministic.

Front 4

What is determinism?

Back 4

Determinism is a claim about the laws of nature. People who hold a thesis of determinisim hold that everything happens is determined by prior events (Antecedent conditions) together with the laws of nature. (natural laws). This determinism rules out chance. Everything that happens, happens as a result of prior events. There's always an explanation for everything that happens.
. [Be careful when talking about things being “predetermined.” Determinists don’t, as a whole, think that our lives are already charted out—that is, they don’t think that it’s already been decided whether or not you will marry, whether or not you will have children, etc. Instead, what determinists believe is that there are no such things as chance occurrences. Determinists believe that every event has some kind of causal explanation.]

Front 5

What do determinists think?

Back 5

Everything that happens, happens as a result of prior events. There's always an explanation for everything that happens. They rule out chance.

Front 6

Three statements that make up the core problem of free will and determinisim:

Back 6

1. There are very strong reasons to think that the world is determinisitic.
2. We appear to have genuine free will.
3. These claims do not appear to be compatible.

Front 7

What causes us to say that we appear to have genuine free will?

Back 7

When you ask people they will tell you they are free. I'm not forced to do anything. If deterministic then we can't really have free will. If we can do whatever we want we don't really have determinisim.

Front 8

Why can't the three statements be true at the same time?

Back 8

If you get rid of free will then there is no such thing as moral responsibility. Can't say oh you coulnd't have done otherwise but I'm not responsible.

Front 9

Incompatibilism

Back 9

Hold that causal determinism is the causal factor in free will. They say causal determinism is the relevant factor in the question of free will. THey think that they're not compltible we have to prove free will. They think if determinism is true then we have a problem we cannot have free will. So they investigate if the world is deterministic.

Front 10

Compatbalism

Back 10

Claims determinisim isn't the relevant factor in the question of free will. (Do you take these stmts. to be compatible or not. Incompatibalists say they're not compatible we have to prove determinisim. Compatibalists say who cares if it's determiniate. They don't think this is a proble,. THey say you can have free will even if determiniism exists. DOn't have to decide 1 to get 2. They say free will is based on something else.

Front 11

Are Hume and Ayer incompatibalists or compatibalists?

Back 11

Compatibilists.

Front 12

What two types of incompatibilsits are there?

Back 12

Hard determinist
Libertarian

Front 13

How is libertarian incompatibilism different than political libertarianism?

Back 13

Not the same as political libertarian. These say we have no right to an education. They say the only rights you have against things are against things. Things such as rights against having someone else come and hurt me. Philosophy tries to clear up the concept of having rights. These individuals hold that causal determination is the relevant factor but they hold that determinism is false so we do have genuine free will.

Front 14

Hard determinists

Back 14

are incompatibilists. They are people who support the claim that determinism is true. They don't think 1 &2 are ever true at the same time. They say determinism is true so there's no such thing as free will.

Front 15

LIbertarianism

Back 15

Determinism is false so we do have docrtine of free will.

Front 16

Hard determinsit

Back 16

Determinism is trye so we do not have genuine free will.

Front 17

What is the difference between libertarians and hard determinists?

Back 17

Both hold if determinism is true then no free will, but libertarians say false so we do still have this.

Front 18

Do compatibalists care?

Back 18

Compatibalists don't care. They don't think this affects if what they're arguing is true or false.