Lecture 14 Notes

Review: The Argument for Hard Determinism

1. The universe is governed by deterministic laws.
2. We are part of this deterministic universe.
3. Conclusion 1: Human actions are determined.
4. Conclusion 2: We aren't really free.
5. Conclusion 3: We don't have moral responsibility.

Replies to Hard Determinism: Two Main Strategies

1. Deny Determinism by Appealing to Quantum Indeterminacy (Deny Premise 1)
   
1. Quantum Indeterminism
• According to quantum indeterminism, there are spontaneous events at the quantum level.
• These events are governed by probabilistic laws, not deterministic laws.
2. Responses
   
• Appeal to Hidden Variables--While these events appear indeterministic, there may be variables that we do not yet know about that determine the events.
• Quantum Indeterminism is Irrelevant For Us--Indeterminism on the micro level does not appear on the macro level.  Human actions are on the macro level.
• Is Randomness What We Want for Freedom???  How will being spastic help?  If our actions are indeterministic, then they are random.  But the sort of freedom that we are interested in is one in which the agent has control over her actions.
2. Deny Determinism and Freedom are Really Incompatible (Deny that Conclusion 2 follows from Conclusion 1)
1. This view is called Compatibilism (Soft Determinism).
2. The compatibilist rethinks freedom.  Freedom is not the ability to do otherwise; freedom is the ability to do what one wants.
3. See next lecture for more on compatibilism.

Re-conceptualizing the Problem

1. Initially, the problem seemed to stem from materialism assumption.
1. The Problem: We are not free and, hence, not morally responsible.
2. The argument for this employs a materialist premise: We are part of this deterministic universe.
2. But now, whether you are a materialist or a dualist, it seems we only have two choices:
1. Thought processes are causally determined.
2. Thought processes are random.
3. Apparently, neither gives us freedom!!!  (In other words, neither gives us control over our actions.)
4. A Libertarian Solution?  The challenge for the libertarian is to provide an account of indeterminism without randomness.