What Philosophy Is

Free Will and Determinism

As you read the material for the next class, keep the questions below in mind. To answer these questions you will have to reflect critically on what you have read and possibly re-read important passages. Keep in mind that there are two basic kinds of information that you need to look for in the readings.

1. What are the main points or conclusions that an author accepts with respect to a particular issue?
2. What are the reasons or important considerations that lead the author to accept that conclusion?

For our purposes, it is information of the latter sort (2) that will be our primary concern since our most basic task is to evaluate the reasons that are offered to support accepting one possible conclusion about an issue, rather than another.

Although I strongly suggest that you write out brief answers to these questions, you do not have to turn in written responses. You do, however, need to be prepared to speak intelligently to these issues in the next class meeting. Also, it is reasonable to assume that the final exam’s questions will be drawn from these questions—particularly those in bold.

Reading:

• Peter Van Inwagen, “The Incompatibility of Free Will and Determinism” from Stephen M. Cahn (ed.), Philosophy for the 21st Century, pp. 420-428.

Dialogue Outline and Questions:

1. What does Peter Van Inwagen mean by “determinism”? What does he mean by “free will”? Does he propose to show that free will does not exist?
2. What is Van Inwagen’s argument that determinism and free will are incompatible? Is this a strong and compelling argument, or can you provide a counter-argument that denies its conclusion?

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