Freedom Determinism Theories u Determinism all human actions

Freedom - Determinism Theories u Determinism: all human actions are caused u Hard Determinism: behavior is caused by either unconscious desires and fears (Freud) or by environment and heredity (Skinner). Freedom is an illusion, and people are not responsible for their actions—though they can be held responsible for social purposes u. Objections: how we can challenge or change our attitudes if we are determined? Why not explain behavior with reasons, not causes?

Freedom - Determinism Theories u. Compatibilism (Soft Determinism): freedom is compatible with determinism, if freedom is understood as the ability to do what we want u. Actions caused by our choices or character are free; actions caused by external forces (genetics, culture, upbringing, threats) are not free Choice/will (cause) act Personality Hard determinist reply: choices are caused by external forces. (cause) External forces

Freedom - Determinism Theories u. Indeterminism: like sub-atomic events, free actions are unpredictable, because nothing causes them u. Objection: if free human actions are chance or random events, then we could not control our “free” actions or be responsible for them u. Libertarianism: our free choices define our selves: this is what we experience (and is what our theory should explain) u. Objection: how can “we” be both cause & effect?

Freedom - Determinism Theories u. Freedom as an Assumption: Morality requires that we think of ourselves as free. As objects in the world, we are determined; but as conscious, choosing beings, we are free (Kant) u. Existentialism: freedom & self-consciousness consist in our ability to conceive that which is not—and that could not be caused by what is u. Objection: Wanting to believe in freedom does not make it true; besides, even that is determined

Time: Reality or Illusion? • Time is the objective, fixed sequence of events in the world: “it” is real and does not change. The subjective experience of time as moving is illusory (Mc. Taggart, Smart) • Time is a mental construct in terms of which all phenomena are experienced as real (Kant) • Objective time is a conceptual abstraction that fails to capture our real experience of duration and the passage from past to future (Bergson)