Free Will An Introduction

by Beebee, Helen

• ISBN13: 9780230232938
• ISBN10: 0230232930
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2013-10-30
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

Can we ever act freely if everything we do is determined by our genes, our upbringing and our environment? On the other hand, if everything we do isn't determined, is it just a matter of luck what we do? What are the requirements on acting freely: are they easily satisfied by ordinary people so long as they aren't coerced or manipulated or suffering from compulsion, or does acting freely involve requirements that are difficult or impossible to meet? This introduction to the contemporary free will debate explores these questions in a lively and accessible way, with the emphasis on giving readers the intellectual tools to make their own minds up on this important and controversial topic.

Author Biography

Helen Beebee is Samuel Hall Professor of Philosophy at the University of Manchester, UK. She has published papers on freedom of the will, causality, laws of nature, the problem of induction, and other topics. Her books include Hume on Causation (2006) and Metaphysics: The Key Concepts (with Nikk Effingham and Philip Goff, 2011).

Table of Contents

Series Editor's Preface
Preface
1. Free Will: The Basics
2. What Does Acting Freely Require? Some Compatibilist Views
3. Compatibilism and the Consequence Argument
4. Compatibilism, Sourcehood, and Manipulation Arguments
5. What Does Acting Freely Require? Some Incompatibilist Views
6. Frankfurt's Nefarious Neurosurgeon
7. Other Issues
Bibliography
Index