The question of whether we have free will is one of the most widely discussed in the modern philosophical debate. During this course we will examine some of the central issues in the debate: How are we to understand the concept of free will? Is free will compatible with determinism? Is free will possible in an indeterministic universe? Does moral responsibility require that we have free will?
We will study the most influential arguments for the main positions in the discussion of these questions. These include Peter van Inwagen’s Consequence Argument for the incompatibility of free will and determinism, Robert Kane’s account of free will in an indeterministic universe, and Harry Frankfurt’s examples that aim to show that moral responsibility does not require an ability to act otherwise.
Course dates: January 25 ‒ March 14
Time and location: Mondays 10:00-12:00 during the period of January 25 – March 14 in the following locations: E355, D271, E355, E355, F247, F279, F279, E355.
Teacher: Maria Svedberg
Literature: Selected articles
