Argument For Incompatibilism By Peter Van Inwagen - 854 Words

In his essay, â€Å"An Argument for Incompatibilism,† Peter van Inwagen concludes that free will and determinism cannot be compatible. The type of argument that van Inwagen uses, the Consequence Argument, has become the maxime popularis way for incompatibilists to assert that, determinism, and free will, are in conflict. The Consequence Argument attempts to display that, if there is an assumption that determinism is true, and then there is a further assumption that for any action that has taken place, up to a specific point, the agent never had a choice about the action taken. Then the consequence is there can be no free action of the agent. Therefore, no free will. It is my contention that van Inwagen s argument depends upon his definition of determinism, and its reliance on this description. Subsequently, van Inwagen s argument delivers no useful way to deduce that free will and determinism are incompatible. Arguing against van Inwagen s thesis, I will attempt to a nalyze the claims he makes, and then present my arguments against these claims. Further, I will attempt to offer potential counter-arguments against my claims and then offer a conclusion that clarifies the entirety of my argument. â€Å"The main contested question,† as van Inwagen words it, is not, as is assumed, whether or not we have free will, but rather, if it is compatible with determinism. From this position, van Inwagen continues to argue that determinism and free will areShow MoreRelatedComparing Compatibilism Vs Incompatibilism : A Compatibilist View1332 Words   |  6 PagesCompatibilism vs Incompatibilism: a compatibilist view Does determinism imply that there is no free will, as the incompatibilists argue, or does it allow for free will, as the compatibilists argue? Determinism is the doctrine, that every event, as well as human actions is determined by causes that are independent to the will. From determinism, two opposing views were identified. The incompatibilists view that determinism implies no free will, or the compatibilists view that determinism still allowsRead More The Free Will Debate Essay2989 Words   |  12 Pagesnormally on are those events, which leads us to believe that the opportunity of free action depends on the leeway of free will: to state that a person acted freely is simply to say that the individual was victorious in acting out of free choice (Van Inwagen 1983). Philosopher Thomas Hobbes asserted this theory by stating that all free will actions were based or influenced by external factors that compel a person to act. However, one might dispute this approach because they are conceptualized basedRead MoreThe Nature Of Free Will Essay2312 Words   |  10 Pagespsychological phenomena are causally determined by preceding events or natural laws.† Whether or not determinism is true is an empirical matter that can only be solved by scientific inquiry into how the world works and not through philosophical arguments. However, the implications of the truth of determinism would’ve have a significant effect on free will. There are two ways in which the world could turn out not to be deterministic. One would be if there are things in the universe that are not governedRead MoreThe Belief Of Evil And The Existence Of God1780 Words   |  8 Pagesa morally perfect being existing This paper will discuss the logical inconsistencies between God and the â€Å"problem of evil† as well as the theist s response to this argument through the free-will defense. In response, the atheist will address the problems evil that the free-will defense did not address, like natural evils. an argument that the thiests will attempt to dismiss using the â€Å"expanded free-will defense† which touches on humans primordial estrangement from God. Nonetheless, I feel the theist