Determinism vs Free Will: Crash Course Philosophy #24

Key Concepts:

• Libertarian Free Will: The belief that humans are capable of entirely free actions.
• Hard Determinism: The view that every event is caused by a previous event, and everything is the necessary result of past events.
• Principle of Alternate Possibilities: An action is free only if the agent could have done otherwise.
• Event Causation: No physical event can occur without having been caused by a previous physical event.
• Agent Causation: An agent (a being propelled by a mind) can start a whole chain of causality that wasn’t caused by anything else.
• Reductionism: The view that all parts of the world, and of our own experience, can be traced back to one singular thing.

Oedipus and the Problem of Fate:

• The story of Oedipus is introduced as an illustration of the philosophical problem of free will versus determinism. The prophecy that Oedipus would kill his father and marry his mother, and his attempts to avoid this fate, highlight the question of whether we can truly escape our predetermined paths.
• The core issue is whether our actions are truly free or if they are predetermined by prior events.

Libertarian Free Will:

• Definition: Libertarian free will posits that humans are capable of entirely free actions, meaning our decisions and actions are not necessarily caused by prior events.
• Example: The speaker's choice to eat oatmeal is presented as a potentially free action, originating from their own thoughts at that moment.
• Event Causation vs. Agent Causation: Libertarians distinguish between event causation (physical events caused by previous physical events) and agent causation (agents initiating causal chains independently).
• Critique: The video notes that agent causation is difficult to defend. It raises the question of where these free decisions originate and what compels an agent to make one decision over another. If there is a cause, then the action isn't truly free.
• Argument for Libertarianism: The primary argument in favor of libertarianism is the subjective feeling of freedom. Libertarians argue that this feeling should be taken seriously.
• Counter-Argument: The video states that without a solid argument to defend the feeling of freedom, philosophical reasoning suggests rejecting it or withholding judgment.

Hard Determinism:

• Definition: Hard determinism asserts that every event, including human actions, is the inevitable result of prior events.
• Baron D’Holbach's View: The video references 18th-century philosopher Baron D’Holbach, who believed that all actions are the result of an unbroken chain of events.
• Reductionism: Hard determinism is often explained through reductionism, which reduces mental states to brain states, biological states, and ultimately, physical states governed by deterministic laws.
• Example: The speaker's oatmeal choice is analyzed through the lens of hard determinism. Beliefs (oatmeal is nutritious), desires (healthy nourishment), and temperament (enjoying warm, carby foods) combine to cause the action.
• Addressing Randomness: The video addresses the objection that random choices (like flipping a coin) might introduce freedom. However, determinists argue that the decision to engage in randomness is itself determined.
• Implications: Hard determinism implies that the feeling of freedom is an illusion and that personal responsibility is undermined. Humans are seen as "cogs in a machine."

Synthesis/Conclusion:

• The video presents a stark contrast between libertarian free will and hard determinism, highlighting the challenges of defending either position.
• Libertarianism struggles to explain the origin of free actions, while hard determinism struggles to account for the subjective experience of freedom and moral responsibility.
• The video concludes by setting up the next episode, which will explore potential middle grounds between these two opposing views.