Submitted by BernardJOrtcutt t3_zd7hlq in philosophy
NukePlayo t1_izrstev wrote
Reply to comment by ridgecoyote in /r/philosophy Open Discussion Thread | December 05, 2022 by BernardJOrtcutt
free will in its most classical sense means "the possibility to have done otherwise". I may have a mind and consciousness, but I will have certain inclinations towards certain actions, based on my brain chemistry and as a reaction to other actions etc. to say that I could've done otherwise in the past would mean that the state of my mind or the circumstances would have had to be different, which is simply not possible and therefore I couldn't have done otherwise. it would be preposterous to say that a drug addict has control over his volition. in my opinion the best argument for free will/moral responsibility (that I know about) is that of the Frankfurt cases. these cases proposed by Harry Frankfurt are counterexamples to the Principle of Alternate Possibilities (PAP) which I personally think are quite strong. but this still does not try to prove free will in a classical libertarian sense because it still denies being able to have done otherwise. so I don't think we can reduce the concept of free will to having a conscious mind still might not have complete agency.
I don't know if this was very cogent or not sorry I'm not rly the most knowledgeable on this I only know a few things I've heard of so far
ridgecoyote t1_j037fxb wrote
Thank you for the classic definition. Can you agree with me that it immediately falls apart, as a definition? “The possibility to have done otherwise “ is way too frivolous as a philosophical statement. Possibilities are figments of the mind, acted upon to varying results. It’s impossible to define all the possibilities of a given phenomenon so we have to leave that out of the definition for sure. “Otherwise” is also problematic- another figment that we construct from experience.
Why we do things, isn’t because of chemistry. If you chose to, you will change your brain chemistry. Free will is a phenomenon of mind and the pieces and atoms of our selves are not mindful. It’s not that much of a mystery, unless you’re a reductionist mechanistic sort. Which seems to be the fashion around here, but if living in that metaphysical framework makes you happiest, by all means, go ahead.
Just don’t insist it’s the only one. Don’t absolutize your conceptual schemes, man.
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