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Arguments Against Free Will Essay

1075 Words5 Pages

This paper discusses whether or not our actions are controlled by free will. Someone can act freely whenever: (a) she could have done otherwise than she in fact does, or (b) it is up to her what she does. An example of an action of free will is I came to office hours today because I chose and wanted to come. An example of no free will is if I got pushed from behind and fell into the person in front of me and knocked them down. Acting with free will is very important. If we don’t act freely, then we cannot be held accountable for what we do. From my second example stated above, how can I be held accountable for pushing the person in front of me if I did not control it happening? We should only be held accountable if we are acting with free will. Being held accountable can both be positive and/or negative. For example, an employer promoting a new employee to a higher paid position would be an example of a being held accountable in a positive way. Another example, someone accusing his or her friend of stealing money from them would be an example of being held accountable in a negative way. It doesn’t make sense to hold someone accountable when you cannot determine if they were acting with free will or not. …show more content…

If determinism is true, we have no free will.
2. If indeterminism is true, we have no free will.
3. Either determinism is true or indeterminism is true.
4. So, we have no free will.
I am going to reject Premise 3 of the Consequence Argument and explain where the 4-Case Manipulation goes wrong.
Consequence Argument:
1. Determinism is the claim that every event is determined by the past and laws of nature
2. If every event is determined by the past and laws of nature, then each of my actions is determined by the past and the laws of nature
3. If one of my actions is determined by the past and the laws of nature, then I could not have done otherwise than action unless I can control the past and the laws of

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