Not offered 2007-2008
PHIL 272T Free Will and Responsibility (W)
We hold people responsible for their actions, both morally and legally. This practice seems justified as long as people are free to make the choices that they do. But which criteria must
a decision meet in order to qualify as free? Clearly, a free decision must not be the result of
external coercion. But must the decision also be free from any outside influence at all? If so
then freedom may seem impossible, for we are all deeply influenced by external factors
ranging from the general laws of nature to specific features of our genetic endowment and
social environment (including religion, political ideology, and advertising). These affect not
only our particular choices but also, more fundamentally, who we are and what we value.
Since it is undeniable that we are pervasively influenced by such outside forces, the real
question is whether, and how, free choice is possible amidst all of these influences. In this
course we will examine the best-known recent philosophical attempts to make sense of the
nature of free will and responsibility. Since these issues have a direct bearing on which
theory of legal punishment we should accept, we will also examine influential theories of
punishment. Our focus will be on works by contemporary authors.
Format: tutorial. Requirements: students meet with the instructor in pairs for roughly an
hour each week; each student will write a 5- to 6-page paper every other week (6 in all) and
comment on his or her tutorial partner's paper in alternate weeks. Emphasis will be placed
on developing skills in reading, interpretation and oral argument as well as critical reasoning
and writing.
Prerequisite: Philosophy 101 or 102, or permission of the instructor.Enrollment limit: 10
(expected: 10). Preference will be given to current majors, prospective majors, and students
committed to taking the tutorial.
BARRY