Frankfurt and Free Will within Addicts In “Freedom of the Will and the Concept of A Person”, Harry Frankfurt makes the argument that individuals lack moral responsibility for an action if one could not have done otherwise. Frankfurt uses the examples of three addicts: the willing, non-willing and wanton addicts to make his argument that having free will exists if one has identified with their desires. I will argue that Frankfurt’s argument is plausible because having free will may depend on the individual that is being examined, due to different circumstances that come into play. Frankfurt argues that what makes humans a “person” is their “set of characteristics that we generally suppose - whether rightly or wrongly - to be uniquely human”
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These addicts are classified as people who have addictions with first order desires, but do not do anything nor care about what is done about that addiction. Frankfurt states that wanton addicts do not have free will, which therefore means that they cannot be considered persons. The wanton addict does have the first desire of wanting to take a drug, but does not have the second desire to want to consume the drug. They neither have the second volition in wanting to carry through with taking the drug, particularly because they are uninterested in the results of taking versus not taking the drugs. These individuals do not concern themselves with the risks or benefits that come with consuming the drug, having no opinion of it. The wanton will pursue the first order desire that they deem to be the strongest, such as consuming the drug or sleeping, for example. If the individual contemplated over the consequences that could occur with following through with their first order desire, then they could be thought of having some will in their actions. However, because they have not identified with a certain desire, it is not necessarily their free will. They do not desire to be or have anything, making them individuals who have no free will or will in
These addicts are classified as people who have addictions with first order desires, but do not do anything nor care about what is done about that addiction. Frankfurt states that wanton addicts do not have free will, which therefore means that they cannot be considered persons. The wanton addict does have the first desire of wanting to take a drug, but does not have the second desire to want to consume the drug. They neither have the second volition in wanting to carry through with taking the drug, particularly because they are uninterested in the results of taking versus not taking the drugs. These individuals do not concern themselves with the risks or benefits that come with consuming the drug, having no opinion of it. The wanton will pursue the first order desire that they deem to be the strongest, such as consuming the drug or sleeping, for example. If the individual contemplated over the consequences that could occur with following through with their first order desire, then they could be thought of having some will in their actions. However, because they have not identified with a certain desire, it is not necessarily their free will. They do not desire to be or have anything, making them individuals who have no free will or will in