152 Free Will: The Scandal in Philosophy Indeterminism

Determinism Libertarianism Agent-Causal Compatibilism

Chapter 10 Event-Causal Soft Determinism Hard Determinism Non-Causal Soft Compatibilism SFA

Hard Incompatibilism Incompatibilism Soft Causality LibertarianismSemicompatibilism Broad Incompatibilism Soft Libertarianism Illusionism

Narrow Incompatibilism Modest Libertarianism Daring Soft Libertarianism Impossibilism Cogito Soft Incompatibilism Leeway Incompatibilism Valerian Model (Alternative Sequences) Source Incompatibilism (Actual Sequence)

Two-Stage ModelThis chapter with on the Limitedweb Determinism and Limited Indeterminism informationphilosopher.com/freedom/libertarianism.html Libertarianism 153 Indeterminism Libertarianism LibertarianismLibertarianism is a school of thought that says humans are free, Determinism not only from physical determinism, but from all the other diverse forms of determinism described in chapter 9. Libertarians believe that strict determinism Agent-Causaland freedom are incompatible. Freedom seems to require some form of indeter- Compatibilism minism somewhere in the decision process. Most libertariansEvent-Causal in the past have been mind/body dualists Soft Determinism who, following René Descartes, explained human freedom by Hard Determinism a separate mind substance that somehow manages to Non-Causalact indeter- ministically in the physical world. Some, especially Immanuel

Soft Compatibilism Kant, believed that our freedomSFA only exists in a transcendental 10 Chapter or noumenal world, leaving the physical world to be completely Incompatibilismdeterministic. How this works remains a mystery. Hard Incompatibilism Religious libertarians say that God Softhas given Causality man a gift of free- dom. But at the same time they say that God has foreknowledge of Semicompatibilism everything that man will do. Another mystery. Broad IncompatibilismIn recent free will debates, these dualist Softexplanations Libertarianism are called Illusionism “agent-causal libertarianism.” The idea is that humans have some kind of metaphysical agency (an ability to act) that cannot be explained in terms of physical causes. Narrow Incompatibilism ModestOne Libertarianism alternative to dualism is “event-causalDaring libertarianism,” Soft Libertarianism Impossibilism in which at least some Cogitophysical or brain events are uncaused or indeterministically caused. Note that eliminating strict Soft Incompatibilism determinism does not eliminate causality. Leeway IncompatibilismWe can still have events that are caused by indeterministic Valerian Model prior events. And these indeterministic events have prior causes, (Alternative Sequences)but those prior causes are not sufficient to determine the events Source Incompatibilism precisely. In modern physics, for example, events are only statisti- cal or probabilistic. We can call this “soft” causality, meaning not (Actual Sequence) pre-determined but still having a causal explanation. Still another libertarian position is to say that human freedom is uncaused or simply non-causal. This would eliminate causality.

Two-Stage Model with Limited Determinism and Limited Indeterminism ------indeter . They and and . They Alfred Mele Alfred think “reasons” or “inten or think “reasons” and , reasons and motives are con are motives and , reasons Carl Ginet Carl for action. for .” Robert Kane Robert Daniel Dennett Daniel non-causal indeterminism. Kane’s response is that this is not the case. this not is that is response Kane’s indeterminism. Free Will: The Scandalin Philosophy The Will: Free Kane’s “torn” decisions are not completely random, They are are They random, completely not are decisions “torn” Kane’s Until recently I too was a critic of Kane, worried that any ran any that worried Kane, of I too a critic was recently Until Critics of Kane’s libertarianism attack his view as unintelligible. view his unintelligible. as libertarianism attack Kane’s of Critics Some strong event-causal libertarians believe that one’s actions actions one’s libertarians believe that event-causal strong Some But we do not have to avoid causes completely to provide free provide to completely causes avoid to have do not we But libertarianism has event-causal “modest” or A conservative consistent with character and values, etc., but not yet fully yet decided not but etc., values, and character with consistent to a decision. to come best efforts the agent’s despite we will see in Chapter 13. willwe see in Chapter model in the two-stage deliberations those cases when previous remains What choice. a single to options down narrowed not have motives, and reasons the agent’s by caused are that choices are In the “torn” decisions of his Self-Forming Actions (SFAs), the (SFAs), Actions Self-Forming his of decisions the “torn” In for those reasons, chooses for and reasons, excellent has agent selected. action is whichever the direct chance make would choice of in the moment domness as mind, my changed I have But actions. our primary of cause and tributing causes, but indeterminism “centered” in the moment of of in the moment “centered” indeterminism but causes, tributing free will.” own one’s “of done actions to also can contribute choice a late such for provided idea can be no coherent that argue They for role are caused but not completely “determined” by events prior to a to prior events by “determined” completely not but caused are mo and reasons values, and character one’s including decision, lib the leading the view of In desires. and feelings one’s and tives, ertarian philosopher been proposed by been by proposed two-stage proposed have scientists and philosophers other many keep that 12) free will (discussedof models Chapter in creating to it limiting deliberation, of stages in the early minism possibilities alternative Some philosophers like like philosophers Some libertarian of describe and their explanations causes not are tions” “ as freedom caused. probabilistically only are events some that admit just dom, 154 Chapter 10 to get credit the as “cause” the of option the that succeeds. options fail, Kane says that it is effort the the of agent that deserves Chapters 12and 13. andwill actions for can take they which say want,they they one that provides an compatibilists agnostic about determinism, kindof the freedom thought and action.It provides freedom and determined provides real alternatives considered to be by the should libertarians ablecase, be to convince that them ifchance is not adirect cause of our actions, it would dono harm. In which sibility that compatibilists are looking for. cause of our actions, that would not freedomthe with be respon accept criticism their that ifnothing but chance was direct the universe. that Ibelieve should libertarians agree with and them, mit that physics has shown there is real lawscal for billiard and balls planets. laws of atomic physics average to become nearly dynami certain paths are only forlarge case the very where objects, statistical the atomic inunstoppable particles motion. Deterministic perpetual unpredictably are whenever they contact inclose with other atoms. know that atoms do not just move they occasionally swerve, mechanical indeterminacy, again aproperty of atoms. We now chains. paths, determined from thus otherwise their initiating causal new through void, the there were would occasions they when “swerve” Thisthe is thetwo-stage in goal of discussed models freewill of can giveLibertarians determinists, the at least open-minded Determinists and compatibilists might agree that also if Many determinists and compatibilists are now to willing ad materialEverything inthe universe is made of atoms and sub equivalent The modern the of Epicurean is swerve quantum The first libertarian, When indeterminism makes one or more of remaining the will, it will, provides real Epicurus , argued that as atoms moved alternative possibilities responsibility adequately determined indeterminism Libertarianism creativity. adequately . chance in the inthe for for - - - -

155

Chapter 10