Philosophy Paper

Phil Writing L9-10

L10 (Intuitively free/Stace-free) Worry is that Stace’s definition counts TOO MANY actions as free.

Sufficient condition — A is sufficient for B=A all alone is enough for B

Necessary condition — A is necessary for B you can’t have B without A. A is required for B.

Stace seems to say that being caused by psychological states is both necessary AND sufficient for an action to count as free.

Necessary direction says: every free action is caused by psych. States. (Being so-caused is a requirement on counting as free)

Sufficient direction says: every action that’s caused by psychological states is free. (Being so-caused is by itself enough to make the action free)

Stace’s definition is pretty plausible as a necessary condition on free action. But it’s not all that plausible as a sufficient condition on free action.

Harry Frankfurt 1st order desires — desires to do or have something 2nd order desires/volitions — desires to have certain 1st order desires motivate us to

act. Distinctively human

These can come apart 1st order desire without corresponding 2nd order Person wants drug, but doesn’t want to want it 2nd order desire without corresponding 1st order desire? identify free actions with actions caused by SPECIAL SUBCLASS of psychological state

A person acts freely if and only if their action is caused by desires that they want to have — by desires they endorse or identify with. In favor? — something intuitive about willing vs. unwilling addict. — makes sense of why we don’t treat (unsophisticated) animals as having free will or being blame worthy.