The recurrent thesis of this book is that on the topic of free will, Descartes is a compatibilist—the will ‘’s freedom is compatible with its choice being determined by perceived evidence for it inone way rather than another. This is to say Descartes does not hold the libertarian view that human freedom requires indifference in the sense that a choice is free when and only when it occurs independently of all else. On this view, the difference that makes the difference in the occurrence or failure to occur of a free choice is nothing more than the unconstrained choice itself. Exploration of these concepts helps to explain how Descartes came to be accused of Pelagianism and Jansenism, both condemned as heresies yet diametrically opposed in these terms. The main focus here, however, is on fundamentally philosophical issues of responsibility, error, certainty, judgment, among others, in their historical context.
Descartes'
cogito
argument is perhaps the most well‐known philosophical argument, the conclusion of which is supposed to be a form of rationalism that allows for contingent
a priori
knowledge of the world. In this short note, I argue that, in fact, the all important statement, ‘I am, I exist’, should be analyse...
Both law and common sense hold that responsibility follows a chrono logical causal direction: one can be held directly responsible only for actions coextensive with one's life, and for which one is a proximate (rather than remote) cause.' This conception of responsibility assumes, in effect, that only the present has s...
D. Lacroix· The Journal of the Midwest M...· 0 citations
Abstract In Leibniz’s mature philosophy, contingency was a necessary condition for freedom. Yet it remains a puzzle in what exact sense free acts are contingent for him. I argue that his faculty psychology holds the key to resolving this puzzle. On my interpretation, an act is contingent if it is metaphysically conting...
Ali Fatollahi· Archiv für Geschichte der Ph...· 0 citations
When, if ever, is it permissible to afford special consideration to friends and family? How can we strive to be objective in our thinking, and is this always a feasible or appropriate aim?
This book examines the categories of impartiality and objectivity by showing how they frame certain debates in epistemology, moral...
DeLapp Kevin· 0 citations
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