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CS92PROD
Freedom and Free Will
PHIL 213
Fall 2014 not offered

Introduction to problems about free will and freedom as they connect up with topics in metaphysics. We will begin with debates about determinism and freedom. We will inquire into questions about whether there is free will, or whether determinism is compatible with free will. Is there a core self as the locus of free will? What notion of agent-causation is necessary for free will? The answers we give to these metaphysical questions will have ramifications for what account we can give of our responsibility and agency. We will explore further the impact of metaphysical freedom on our actions: What account of human psychology is necessary for free action? Is free action necessarily the most rational action? What is the significance of free will for our actions? Is it something we necessarily want? Why is it worth having? What role does bad "moral luck" play in mitigating our responsibility? How do uncontrollable addictions and compulsions factor into the free will debate? If love and personal attachments are necessarily binding and unbreakable, are they compatible with being free?
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS PHIL
Course Format: SeminarGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Requirement for: (PHIL)(PHIL-Social Jus)

Last Updated on DEC-04-2024
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