What Is Philosophy?The very question sounds philosophical, doesn’t it? But what exactly does thatmean? What is philosophy?The word philosophy means “love of wisdom.” Indeed, it is a love of wisdomthat guides philosophers to explore the fundamental questions about who we areand why we’re here. On the surface, philosophy is a social science. But as youread this book, you’ll discover that it is so much more than that. Philosophytouches on every subject you could possibly think of. It’s not just a bunch of oldGreek guys asking each other questions over and over again (though it has itsfair share of that as well). Philosophy has very real applications; from the ethicalquestions raised in government policy to the logic forms required in computerprogramming, everything has its roots in philosophy.Through philosophy, we are able to explore concepts like the meaning of life,knowledge, morality, reality, the existence of God, consciousness, politics,religion, economics, art, linguistics—philosophy has no bounds!In a very broad sense, there are six major themes philosophy touches on:1. Metaphysics: The study of the universe and reality2. Logic: How to create a valid argument3. Epistemology: The study of knowledge and how we acquire knowledge4. Aesthetics: The study of art and beauty5. Politics: The study of political rights, government, and the role of citizens6. Ethics: The study of morality and how one should live his lifeIf you’ve ever thought, “Oh, philosophy. I’ll never be able to understand thatstuff,” then fear not. This is the crash course in philosophy that you’ve alwayswanted. Finally, you’ll be able to open your mind without making your eyesbleed.Welcome to Philosophy 101.
The definition of free will in compatibilism is that one is free to choose how to act to whatever extent made possible by that persons makeup. But then, if it is not determinism that is considered to be a constraint in compatibilism, what is the constraint? According to compatibilism, a constraint is any type of external coercion. Free will, therefore, is defined as freedom of action. As long as an individual is able to make his own decisions (even if those decisions are already determined) free of an external force (like imprisonment), then that person has free will. Alternatively, some people do not believe in compatibilism. Those who believe incompatibilism to be true claim that determinism is simply incompatible with the notion of free will. For example, how can one have free will if every decision is predetermined from birth?
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This does not necessarily mean that incompatibilism states free will does or does not exist. In fact, incompatibilism can be broken down into three types: 1. Hard determinism (which denies the existence of free will) 2. Metaphysical libertarianism (which states free will does exist and denies the existence of compatibilism) 3. Pessimistic incompatibilism (which states that neither free will nor compatibilism is true)
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The previous incompatibilism: image shows several offshoots of compatibilism and Semicompatibilism is the notion that determinism is compatible with moral responsibility. Hard incompatibilism is the belief that moral responsibility and free will are not compatible with determinism. Illusionism is the belief that free will is just an illusion. Incompatibilists who deny determinism accept that random events must therefore occur in the world (be they mental, biological, physical, etc.), and thus, randomness and accidents do exist. This then creates chains of unpredictable futures (as opposed to the one predestined future in determinism). Another form of incompatibilism, metaphysical libertarianism, comes in four
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Soft causality is the belief that most events are determined, while some events are not as predictable. Agent-causal libertarianism is the belief that new causal chains can begin that are not determined by past events or laws of nature. Non-causal libertarianism is the idea that in order to make decisions, no cause is needed at all. Those who believe in compatibilism believe humans can be free agents (and have free will) when they are free of certain constraints, and that personalities and characteristics are determined in ways that are out of their hands (such as genetics or upbringing), while incompatibilists deny that determinism plays a role in free will and accept that random events and accidents must therefore occur in the world (be they mental, biological, physical, etc.).
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