PHIL 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Determinism, Human Behavior
Document Summary
Free will thesis: we perform some of our actions freely. Determinism: every event is an inevitable consequence of prior conditions and the laws of nature (physics, chemistry, etc. ) For any event e, there is a set of prior conditions, p, such that given p and the laws of nature, event e could not have failed to occur. P (prior conditions) + l (laws of nature) a (any action that we perform) Prior conditions: desire to drink, not enough sleep. Free will seems to be incompatible with determinism. Different outcome some differences in prior conditions. Arguments made by holbach in the illusion of free will. Resisting strong desires argument for free will: sometimes we resist strong desires, when we resist strong desires, we exercise free will. ** premise 2, holbach doesn"t believe that resisting strong desires is free will. Prior condition (desire not to die) leads the thirsty man not to drink the poisoned water =
