The Metasphysics of Free Will: An Essay on Control

by John Martin Fischer

The Metaphysics of Free Will provides a through statement of the major grounds for skepticism about the reality of free will and moral responsibility. The author identifies and explains the sort of control that is associated with personhood and accountability, and shows how it is consistent with causal determinism. In so doing, out view of ourselves as morally responsible agents is protected against the disturbing changes posed by science and religion.

Genres: Philosophy

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Cameron Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could say a lot more than I've written here, but frankly I don't want to put in the effort (and honestly are many people gonna read this review and actually care about what I have to say? I have no delusions about that, so why put in the effort?), so let me give a very brief and incomplete explanation of my two-star rating.

1. Fischer spends a huge portion of the book addressing certain issues and principles--e.g. the Transfer principle--that I find to be distractions from the heart of the free will debate. Further, these distractions are pretty damn boring and a little too formalized (e.g. complex possible worlds analysis) for my tastes.

2. I have some problems with Fischer's account of guidance control i.e. reasons-responsiveness. I much prefer deep-self compatibilism (like Frankfurt's, Watson's, and Bok's) to reasons-responsive compatibilism.