Libertarianism

Libertarianism

Inderterminism: Things happen randomly. Not libertarianism, self determination is needed for real free will - power of free choice to control which actions we perform.
1. Randomness destroys importance of human agency. E.g. reach for a hammer - clap of thunder - i fall knock over my brother who then trips and pours scalding water over mum who then screams and gives next door a heart attack
  1. Deliberate decision missing - no one responsible and no one has control; life not always like this
2. Libertarianism does not deny causal chain nor advocate randomness. Claims that exercise of reason helps us to escape from passive motivation e.g. desire
3. Random events - deliberate actions
  1. Hume said if anyone can find a cause without a necessary connection to its effect grant libertarianism true - because without causal necessity have no concept of causation
Dualism - Descartes
1. Body and mind are seperate, so human decision making would be outside natural order of cause and effcect because not physical
  1. Bodies are material machines and, and mind immaterial so free from causal laws
  2. Acts of willing are free - 'power of the will..we are able to do or not to do the same thing'
2. Criticisms
  1. Problems of interaction - if volition takes place in mental realm how does it communicate with physical body? spirit affect matter? Defy laws of science
    1. How can something non physical cause something physical? To move muscles - neurones fire - chemicals move between neurones - anything physical takes energy. Since will not physical no physical enerfy to move chemicals - breaks law of conservation of energy - creating new energy
  2. How do you know which mind is attached to which body? More than one mind to be attached to a body? or minds to swap?
3. Judgement - intention - volition - act
Freewill is when it is in my power to act in any number of different ways and i was able to reason over my decisions and exercise control over my desires
Quantum physics suggests at the level of small atomic particles - motion of particles random
1. But scientists say that causal laws at macro level (large scale) are deterministic - so determinism true
Chance: 1) coincidence, 2) ignorance 3) probability
Sartre
1. Consciousness determines life - although we operate in a set of conditions we have a choice in how we interpret and respond to the conditions
  1. I choose how to see my past - so it cannot determine my future
2. Detach ourselves from the present, through deliberation and look for reasons instead of causes. Continually conscious of possibilities
  1. Actions reveal desires, desires do not determine actions - freedom is desiring what i do.
3. Criticisms
  1. What if i am not even aware i have a choice? E.g. child may not even be aware that disobeying parents is an option. Precondition of freedom is awareness of alternatives - strong social conditioning or limited resources awareness not exist
  2. Awareness of possibilities does not provide realistic choices, sartre sai d' there is always the possibility that the coward will give up cowardice'- probability will not translate into real choice
4. 'Man is condemned to be free'
  1. No human nature to fall back on - we alone are responsible for our actions - create ourselves. Only we can solve our dilemmas -FREE
People feel free
1. No - tumour, Patricia Churchland or drug addict - feel free but not really. ILLUSION

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	Created by lauren_walji about 11 years ago