Free will

From Geography

Free will is a term that describes a sort of capacity for rational agents to choose a course of action from several possible alternatives. Almost all philosophers said something about the meaning of the term free will the last two millennia. The most common description of free will is closely connected to the concept of moral responsibility. By this description, acting with free will is to satisfy the metaphysical requirement on being responsible for undertaken actions. One that undertakes an action is being aware, or not aware, of possible alternatives for that specific action. Nevertheless one that undertakes an action always has to do with the external situation. Especially considering the possible alternatives it is important to realize that these alternatives can be influenced by the external situation. The external situation can increase, or decrease, the possible alternatives from which one can choose in case of a decision making in the situation of free will.

Important question is whether events are determined or not. Philosophers who say events are determined will also conclude that free will (concerning ‘actions-undertaking’) does not exist. In case of indeterminism free will (concerning ‘actions-undertaking’) is a possibility.

References:

O’Conner,T. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosofy, 2005 Consulted: 6 October 2010 http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freewill

Published by Tobias Geerdink (4076923)