Do we really make our own decisions? Or are we compelled to act by factors beyond our control? And if our choices are not free, why should we be held morally responsible for them.

Thomas Pink's Very Short Introduction to free will is an accessible and stimulating investigation of one of the most important and enduring problems of Western philosophy. It looks at a range of issues surrounding this fundamental philosophical question, exploring it from the ideas of the Greek and medieval philosophers through to the thoughts of present-day thinkers.

Informationen zum Autor Thomas Pink is Lecturer in Philosophy at King's College, London. He works mainly in ethics, philosophy of mind and action, political philosophy, and philosophy of law. He also works on medieval and early modern philosophy. His publications include The Psychology of Freedom (CUP, 1996), and the edited collection (with Martin Stone) Theories of Human Action and the Will (forthcoming). He is also an associate editor of Mind. Klappentext Every day we seem to make and act upon all kinds of choices: some trivial, others so consequential that they change the course of one's life, or even the course of history. But are these choices really free, or are we compelled to act the way we do by factors beyond our control? Is the feeling that we could have made different decisions just an illusion? And if our choices are not free, is it legitimate to hold people morally responsible for their actions?Thomas Pink looks at the fundamental philosophical question of free will, critically examining the claim: If our actions are causally determined by events beyond our control, that means that we can never act freely, and so can never be held responsible for our actions. Zusammenfassung Every day we seem to make and act upon all kinds of free choices - some of them trivial, and some so consequential that they may change the course of our life, or even the course of history. But are these choices really free? Or are we compelled to act the way we do by factors beyond our control? Is the feeling that we could have made different decisions just an illusion? And if our choices are not free, why should we be held morally responsible for our actions?This Very Short Introduction, written by a leading authority on the subject, looks at a range of issues surrounding this fundamental philosophical question, exploring it from the ideas of the Greek and medieval philosophers through to the thoughts of present-day thinkers. It provides a interesting and incisive introduction to this perennially fascinating subject.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1: The free will problem 2: Freedom as free will 3: Compatibilism and reason 4: Compatibilism and nature 5: Morality without freedom? 6: Libertarianism and scepticism 7: Self-determination and the will 8: Freedom and its place in nature ...

Klappentext

Every day we seem to make and act upon all kinds of free choices - some of them trivial, and some so consequential that they may change the course of our life, or even the course of history. But are these choices really free? Or are we compelled to act the way we do by factors beyond our control? Is the feeling that we could have made different decisions just an illusion? And if our choices are not free, why should we be held morally responsible for our actions?

This Very Short Introduction, written by a leading authority on the subject, looks at a range of issues surrounding this fundamental philosophical question, exploring it from the ideas of the Greek and medieval philosophers through to the thoughts of present-day thinkers. It provides a interesting and incisive introduction to this perennially fascinating subject.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Inhalt

• 1: The free will problem

• 2: Freedom as free will

• 3: Compatibilism and reason

• 4: Compatibilism and nature

• 5: Morality without freedom?

• 6: Libertarianism and scepticism

• 7: Self-determination and the will

• 8: Freedom and its place in nature