In recent years, philosophical discussions of free will have focused largely on whether or not free will is compatible with determinism. In this challenging book, David Hodgson takes a fresh approach to the question of free will, contending that close consideration of human rationality and human
consciousness shows that together they give us free will, in a robust and indeterministic sense. In particular, they give us the capacity to respond appositely to feature-rich gestalts of conscious experiences, in ways that are not wholly determined by laws of nature or computational rules. The
author contends that this approach is consistent with what science tells us about the world; and he considers its implications for our responsibility for our own conduct, for the role of retribution in criminal punishment, and for the place of human beings in the wider scheme of things.
Introduction
The problem of free will and responsibility
Compatibilism
Haldane's argument
How I will proceed
1. Foundational Beliefs
Can I be certain that I exist?
The need for language
Experiences and the external world
Foundational beliefs
2. Truth and
Rationality
Truth
Relativity of truth?
Rationality
Fallacies and biases
Stich's argument
A legal example
Core assertions about truth and rationality
3. Plausible Reasoning
Formal and informal reasoning
Induction
Bayes' theorem
Illustration of Bayes'
theorem
Levels of cognitive processes
Core assertions about plausible reasoning
4. Consciousness and Decision-making
Dual aspects
Characteristic features of conscious experiences
Subjectivity
Qualia and unity
Neural correlates of consciousness
The efficacy of
conscious experiences
Three questions
Rule-determined processes do not need consciousness
Core assertions about consciousness and decision-making
5. Gestalts and Rules
The argument outlined
Laws and rules
The Game of Life and computation
Tricks of
consciousness
Some further thoughts
Core assertions about gestalts and rules
6. How Gestalts Promote Rationality
Evolutionary origins
Aesthetic judgments
Plausible reasoning
Conclusion
Core assertions about how gestalts promote rationality
7. Science and
Determinism
A lawful universe
Quantum mechanics
The free will theorem
Explanation of the theorem
Implications
Time and the block universe
Core assertions about science and determinism
8. Neuroscience and Conscious Choice
Science and the brain
A general
picture
The Cartesian theatre
The scale and nature of quantum effects
Libet, Gazzaniga and Wegner
Core assertions about neuroscience and conscious choice
9. Indeterministic Free Will
Will and responsibility
Comparison with
Kane
Agent-causation
Compatibilism
Assessment of compatibilism
Does luck swallow everything?
More about luck
Core assertions about indeterministic free will
10. Value Judgments
A different philosophical approach
Natural imperatives
Absolute
imperatives
Prima facie imperatives
No reasonable irreconcilable differences
Why be moral?
Good, evil and beauty
Community practices and laws
Legal systems
Capacity for reasonable value judgments
Core assertions about value judgments
11. Responsibility and
Retribution
Responses to wrong conduct
Overview
Australian criminal law
Retribution as a restriction on State compulsion
Why retribution should be maintained
Philosophical bases for retribution
The future of retribution
Core assertions about responsibility and
retribution
12. The Big Picture
The scientific account
An experienced universe
Constraint, empowerment and guidance
Religious belief: a subject for rational enquiry
A value-embedded universe
Where do we come from?
Where are we going?
Can more specific beliefs be
supported?
Potential for evil and good
Core assertions about the big picture
Appendix A: Why Bayes' Theorem Works
Appendix B: Against Fundamentalism: Biblical Morality
Abraham and Isaac
The Passover
The Promised Land
The New Testament
References
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David Hodgson recently retired as a Judge of Appeal of the New South Wales Supreme Court, after a long legal career. During that career, he maintained a keen interest and involvement in philosophy. He has published two previous philosophical books through Oxford University Press, namely
Consequences of Utilitarianism and The Mind Matters, and also numerous philosophical articles on consciousness, free will and plausible reasoning.