Free will / Graham McFee.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McFee, Graham, author.

Series:

Central problems of philosophy.

Central problems of philosophy

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Free will and determinism.

Liberty--Religious aspects.

Liberty.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (viii, 184 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Durham : Acumen Publishing, 2000.

Summary:

The question whether human choices and actions are causally determined or are in a way free, and the implications of this for our moral, personal and social lives continues to challenge philosophers. This book explores the determinist rejection of free will through a detailed exposition of the central determinist argument and a consideration of the responses to each of its premises. At every stage familiar examples and case studies help frame and ground the argument. The discussion is at no time peremptory and the invitation to the reader to be drawn in and to contribute to the debate as an engaged participant is palpable in the manner and approach adopted throughout. Free Will will be welcomed by students looking for an engaging and clear introduction to the subject, and as a rigorous exercise in philosophical argument it will serve, for the beginning student new to philosophy, as an excellent springboard into the subject more generally.

Contents:

Cover; Half Title; Title; Copyright; Contents; Preface and acknowledgements; 1 Free will: the issue; 2 Determinism: exposition; 3 Determinism: qualifications and clarifications; 4 Libertarianism: two varieties; 5 Compatibilism I: the ""utilitarian"" position; 6 Compatibilism II: the two-language view; 7 The irrelevance of determinism; 8 The very idea of causal necessity; 9 Conclusions and reflections on philosophical method; Appendix: chaos theory and determinism; Notes; A guide to further reading; Bibliography; Index

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 02 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-317-49021-5

1-317-49022-3

1-315-71086-2

1-282-92125-8

9786612921254

1-84465-323-4

OCLC:

922957891