Freedom compatible with determinism, denies
liberty of indifference (in my power to act in a
certain number of ways, able to reason and
control) asserts liberty of sponteneity (free if can
act according to decisions without coercion or
hindrance)
Hume said free will is 'the power of
acting or not acting' - action caused
by choice (choice may have been
caused by other events)
Weak notion of freewill - not
really free because to be free
is i could have chosen
differently
E.g. smoking - if chose not
to would not have - but cant
choose differently because
controlled by addiction
Hume thought no necessary
connection between events in
world - just happens to be the
way, uniform and contingent
E.g. accounts in history of of
people who share common
motives and behaviours
Constant conjunction of
cause and effect is causation
- regular
My desires still determined by
my character (social, environment
and biological conditioning) but
connection between desires and
actions is not necessary.
Motives and actions go
together throughout history
Does not allow for the same person
to act differently in the same
situation- because of regularity - if
impossible to act differently are we
really free?
Hume would respond with hidden
causes - if you had had wanted to
act differently there would have
been hidden causes causing this
If character determined by exposure to
violence as a child - release frustration
through violence against children - am i
really free? Law consider me free? Or drug
addict? If cannot choose desire not really
free