libertarianism

• what is libertarianism?

  the view that despite restraints from genetics and the environment, human beings are free moral agents
• what are most libertarians?

  mind-body dualists
• this follows the view of who?

  Descartes "cogito ergo sum"
• a "moderate" libertarian would NOT deny...?

  that the external world is deterministic
• a "moderate" libertarian would also accept that...?

  deterministic processes affect living beings
• what would a "moderate" libertarian accept that the personality is?

  to a large extent governed by heredity, social situations and environment
• such influences incline us to...?

  act in certain ways rather than others
• nevertheless, what does a libertarian insist?

  that human behaviour is not determined by external causes
• what is the usual example here?

  that of kleptomaniac
• the kleptomaniac's psychological, physiological and genetic disposition may...?


  dispose him to steal
• nevertheless...?

  it isnt a forgone conclusion that they will definitely steal
• when left unobserved in a shop...?

  he might or might not steal
• what is this?

  libertarianism
• however, what is clear?

  that nobody is totally free, as human behaviour is constrained by certain limitations
• what limitations are humans constrained by?

  physical, psychological and social limitations
• for a libertarian, limitations such as these are acceptable, why?

  because the idea of complete freedom makes little sense (leads to the paralysis of complete freedom)
• what is the paralysis of complete freedom?

  it is like being set down in the middle of a completely featureless, flat landscape and trying to decide which way to go
• you'd be rooted to the spot, why?

  because the actual experience of freedom requires limitations in order to make sense
• you may be free to choose anything on the menu BUT...?

  first you need the menu
• what is the most common reason for arguing for libertarianism?

  that we experience ourselves as free, and also have a sense of moral responsibility
• what argument is this?

  the "common sense" argument
• what does the libertarian believe?

  when you have to explain your decisions, its not about the causes of your actions, its the reasoning behind them
• the determinist claims that the mind is subject to causal laws but what does the libertarian argue?

  that this is obviously false, otherwise there would be no argument about it
• determinists say that there's evidence for determinism, but none for libertarianism, what do libertarians argue to this?

  the only physical evidence possessed by determinists is that physical systems are governed by natural laws, but there's no reason to think that the mind is governed in such a way
• if hard determinism is true then there's no point...?

  in discussing the question of whether or not we have free will
• most of us assume that we are free, why?

  our feelings of moral guilt arise because we realise that we've made a wrong choice
• those who claim that we are determined are...?

  merely making a determined statement, so why should we pay any attention to it?