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The Significance of Free Will
Robert Kane provides a critical overview of debates about free will of the past half century, relating this recent inquiry to the broader history of the free will issue and to vital currents of twentieth century thought. Kane also defends a traditional libertarian or incompatibilist view of free will (one that insists upon the incompatibility of free will and determinism), employing arguments that are both new to philosophy and that respond to contemporary developments in physics and biology, neuro science, and the cognitive and behavioral sciences.
280 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 26, 2026
Free will is perhaps the most voluminously debated out of all philosophical problems. There are concerns that if psychological, physical, or theological determinism are true, then we don’t have free will.
Kane answers four questions in this book pertinent to free will: (1) the Compatibility Question, (2) the Significance Question, (3) the Intelligiblity Question, and (4) the Existence Question.
To answer the Compatibility Question, argues that objections from Bennet from other philosophers for free will and determinism being compatible
For the Significance Question, Kane says we should want free will to be incompatible with determinism as indeterminant free will is necessary for genuine creativity, autonomy, moral responsibility, among other goods.
As for the Intelligibility Question, Kane says that free will and indeterminism are indeed compatible and make free will coherent.
Now, for the Existence Question, Kane takes an agnostic position. While he does argue that it’s possible for libertarian free will exist, he argues that we cannot be certain using just philosophy. He believes this is a question that only science can answer.
This is where I disagree with him. Many philosophers, such as Swinburne and Franklin, have been able to argue for libertarian free will without pleading to science. Swinburne is able to, for example, make a case for libertarian free will through a principle he defends in Minds, Body, and Free Will.
I ultimately gave this three stars as the Existence Question isn’t really answered. Fun read regardless! Important contribution to the free will literature.
Kane answers four questions in this book pertinent to free will: (1) the Compatibility Question, (2) the Significance Question, (3) the Intelligiblity Question, and (4) the Existence Question.
To answer the Compatibility Question, argues that objections from Bennet from other philosophers for free will and determinism being compatible
For the Significance Question, Kane says we should want free will to be incompatible with determinism as indeterminant free will is necessary for genuine creativity, autonomy, moral responsibility, among other goods.
As for the Intelligibility Question, Kane says that free will and indeterminism are indeed compatible and make free will coherent.
Now, for the Existence Question, Kane takes an agnostic position. While he does argue that it’s possible for libertarian free will exist, he argues that we cannot be certain using just philosophy. He believes this is a question that only science can answer.
This is where I disagree with him. Many philosophers, such as Swinburne and Franklin, have been able to argue for libertarian free will without pleading to science. Swinburne is able to, for example, make a case for libertarian free will through a principle he defends in Minds, Body, and Free Will.
I ultimately gave this three stars as the Existence Question isn’t really answered. Fun read regardless! Important contribution to the free will literature.
January 3, 2024
3.5. Good, but I'm still not able to grasp how libertarian freedom is supposed to work + there's too much quantum and neural speculation for my taste
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews