Libertarianism

• In issues of right and wrong, we are free moral agents
• Not all libertarians think the same thing
• Most libertarians are mind-body dualists
• Causality has nothing to do with free will
• Human freedom is non-causal
• There are two types of events

  • Events caused
  • Free events
• Moderate libertarians would not deny that the external world is deterministic
• Moderate libertarians would agree that external, determined events can affect living beings
• Moderate libertarians would accept that personality is largely governed by hereditary, social and environmental situations
• Moderate libertarians would accept that the world around us can incline us to act certain ways
• A kleptomaniac still has the choice as to whether they steal or not
• All our experience of decision-making, following moral principle and our sense of guilt suggests we have free will
• We can choose what to do, and therefore must take responsibility
• There are some things we are physically incapable of doing

  • Physical limitations
  • Psychological limitations
  • Social limitations
• Social limitations

  • We are all profoundly impacted by our circumstances
  • We can rebel against the norms of society, affirming our freedom
• Libertarian limitations

  • true freedom would be overwhelming
  • Complete free will makes very little sense
  • Complete free will would be paralysing
• Libertarians argue the existence of a moral sense
• The moral self can override the personality and demands of society
• The moral self can make a causally undetermined choice of what should be done in any moral situation
• Kant was a libertarian
• Kant created a deontological theory of ethics that was based on moral rules, not religion
• Kant created laws about what people ought to do, telling them their moral responsibility (to follow laws found through reason)
• Kant argued that "ought implies can"- knowing what we should do shows that we are morally free to choose this action, we have freewill
• Libertarians believe that all people should be held morally responsible because they have metaphysical freedom