Harry Frankfurt 's Arguments For The Compatibilism Of Determinism And Freedom Of Will

Before the turn of the century the Principle of Alternative Possibilities was widely held to be the definitive position on moral philosophy and the free will debate. However with the publication of Harry Frankfurt’s “Alternate Possibilities and Moral Responsibility” in 1969 there’s now a highly contested debate regarding the issue. In this essay I will briefly present the Principle of Alternative Possibilities (PAP) and Frankfurt’s argument to refute it. I will then analyze if Frankfurt was correct to critique PAP and further examine if he succeeded in disproving it.

3. Discuss the issue between Baron d'Holbach and William James on free will and determinism?

This paper is a defense of Frankfurt. Having said that, however, I think Widerker has developed a very strong criticism of Frankfurt which in some sense takes away his prima facie intuition. Therefore, it seems to me not enough for defenders of Frankfurt to respond by just refuting the counter-examples Widerker provides against Frankfurt-style cases – they must somehow bring their intuition back. This is exactly what I want to pursue in this paper. I will argue that Frankfurt’s argument may be reconstructed in an alternative way, which does not depend

According to Frankfurt, “there is no more than an innocuous appearance of paradox in the proposition that it is determined, ineluctably and by forces beyond their control, that certain people have free wills and that others do not” (20). Frankfurt’s theory is purely based on the relationship between different orders of desires, instead of the origin of the desires. In other words, so long as one has the freedom to desire a particular first-order desire of his, he has the freedom of will, even though all of his desires are causally determined.

First-order desire are starightforward. These are desires simple in nature and resmeble animal desires to eat, sleep, feel comforatable. Second-order desires are complex and arise from analysys, comaprison, and identification. These desires are human beings phenomena which animals do not have. Second order desires not only create notion of accountability for one’s actions, but also can be diferent in meanings and affect human consciences in a variety of ways. The link between two kinds of desires is Frankfurt distinction between a persona and a wanton. A “person” in Frankfrut theory has a second order volition which is a conflict resolution between first order desires and create a will, while a “wanton” has a lack of concern about first order desires “thus incapable of being concerned about his will.”

This shows that you endorse your desire. He argues that free will means that your second order volition and your first order agree and that if you lack second order volition it means you don’t care what you want which means you aren’t a

“If human beings are good things, and they cannot do right unless they so will, then they ought to have free will, without which they cannot do right.” “And as for the

Frankfurt distinguishes between acting freely and having a free will. Are both of these compatible with determinism? How does our freedom relate to causation?

Agent – Neutral Consequentialism – this will disregard the value of a situation for an individual, so personal goals do not confront anyone else’s goals who may be in the same situation, so that the act or act which the decision maker will take does not bias a particular individual.

actions of a person as a result of his or her mental volition. The result of a

Freedom is not a true element of the general will because a ruler’s will can

He argued that our choices are made out of necessity and consequence of temperament, therefore, disproving our freedom. Our necessities are our wants, desires, passions, and motives. We act out of self-preservation and fear of death and the unknown. The human will are modifications of chemicals in our brain, since we cannot see these complex mechanisms we imply that we have control of ourselves. In fact, our brain acts as a complex computer that inputs stimuli and outputs reactions based on

Moreover, the mind is subject to the aforementioned Stoic “chain of causation.” Both Lucretius and Frankfurt offer a solution to the prima facie logical disconnection between the fatalistic determination of the external world and sufficient agency to introduce moral responsibility by positing the relatively unfettered mind as a means to grant or reject acceptance to the fated nature of reality. Volition exists not in the ability to choose proper actions, but rather whether the agent assents to complicity in the preordained

Belief in free will is the belief in self-determination. Humanity exists with a philosophical principle that humans have specific control over individual choices; thus, are in control of their own destiny. Belief in free will gives validity and responsibility to one’s own choices and life. Without this belief humans would lose part of their individualism and control. Actions would only be determined by external forces. Consequently, ideas on self-worth, ethics, accountability, and societal relationships would be meaningless. Mankind needs to feel that multiple choices are available and obtainable. Writers during the 18th century focused on the ideas of free will. This determination was innate, yet factors within society and individuals that influenced this autonomy, such as social immorality. The ideas of self-sovereignty have been examined through various sections of literature. Consequently, John Milton’s “Paradise Lost”, William Shakespeare’s “King Lear”, and Mary Astell “From Some Reflections upon Marriage” examine free wills effect on humanity in relation to corruption, enslavement to desires, and dangers/benefits.

Discussion on the Determination of Self In every day life we experience causality and order, which would suggest that everything is ordered and caused by something outside ourselves. However it is hard to believe that we have no free choices when presented with a decision to be made, surely if we were unable to make choices concerning the direction and outcome of his own life, is a slave. However many philosophers and thinkers have pondered this over the years, and some believe that when we believe we are presented with choices we are being deceived, and as B.F Skinner said, ‘human beings.. are not free, because all men are really puppets or robots. Man is a meat machine.’