Are we free to do what we please? Or is the freedom of choice that we feel in our daily lives a mere illusion? Are all actions and circumstances predetermined? Or can our wills transcend the past to actively shape the future? Does determinism, the theory that everything is determined by preexisting causes, render our conceptions of free will and individual responsibility superfluous? Or are such conceptions compatible with a deterministic world?
These types of questions form the basis of the philosophical dilemma of free will. And the stakes are high: If it turns out that we don’t have freedom in the way we act, could we really blame people for their bad behavior? Could we hold criminals accountable, if they had no choice but to act criminally? Would the systems of ethics and morality have any justification?
You are reading: Best books on free will
Although there is a growing clamor from voices in neuroscience that free will is an illusion, rescuing our conception of free will from the onslaught of a deterministic universe has been the favorite pastime of many thinkers throughout the history of mankind. philosophy.
This reading list is designed to give you a comprehensive overview of all contemporary free will issues, theories, and debates. after consuming it, you will have a much clearer idea of what free will refers to, as well as to what extent we can say that we exercise it.
1. free will: a brief introduction, by thomas pink
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Published in 2004, British philosopher Thomas Pink’s Free Will: A Brief Introduction is a fantastic starting point for anyone curious about the free will debate in philosophy. pink presents the central arguments in a very readable style, with an important note being that pink himself sympathizes with a position that most philosophers do not, which may unsettle some readers. With 132 accessible pages, this is a good entry point to Free Will, outlining the history and main talking points of the debate.
2. the oxford handbook of free will, by robert kane
If you’re looking for a one-stop shop for all things free will, look no further than The Oxford Handbook on Free Will, edited by American philosopher Robert Kane and published in 2011. Consisting of twenty-eight essays by leading scholars Discussing the relationship of free will to topics in physics, neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, and empirical philosophy, the oxford handbook on free will presents the best short writings on free will of the last forty years, paying particular attention to the latest research of the 21st century. At 664 pages, this collection is substantial, but you won’t need another.
3. a contemporary introduction to free will, by robert kane
if you prefer a deeper guided tour through the nefarious subject of free will, kane’s 2005 a contemporary introduction to free will is a brilliant choice. Accessible to those new to the subject, Kane’s book offers a concise introduction to the history of the problem of free will, before diving into contemporary debates between compatibilist, incompatibilist, and libertarian theories. The text is packed with compelling examples and challenging thought experiments, and serves as an ideal introduction for anyone interested in free will.
4. Four Views on Free Will, by Fischer, Kane, Pereboom & vargas
In the fascinating 2007 Four Views on Free Will, four well-known philosophers (John Fischer, Robert Kane, Derk Pereboom, and Manuel Vargas) each describe their particular views on free will, before answering each other directly. each other in a lively and engaging exchange. his views cover most of the major defensible positions on free will, so by reading four views on free will and examining each of them, you’ll get a better idea of where he stands.
5. freedom and belief, by galen strawson
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It’s time to eviscerate free will with a couple of hard and sensible reads. First, Galen Strawson’s 1986 Freedom and Beliefs makes a powerful philosophical case that there is no such thing as free will or true moral responsibility. Strawton exhaustively examines the logic behind the freedom we feel in making decisions and controversially concludes that, whether determinism is true or not, ultimate freedom is logically impossible. An honest and challenging work, Strawson’s Freedom and Belief is thought-provoking reading for any student of free will.
6. free will, by sam harris
Next in the free will knockout is neuroscientist sam harris’s 2012 free will. While not a staunch philosophical classic, in that Harris focuses heavily on neuroscience studies and common sense views on free will (rather than delving into the philosophical literature on what freedom entails). Free Will is hugely persuasive, entertaining, and can be read fairly easily in one sitting. For anyone looking for a quick and dirty route into the free will debate, this is certainly the place: if you don’t walk away almost convinced that free will is an illusion, you’ll be full of bragging about why it isn’t. .
7. Room to Move: Free Will Strains Worth Craving by Daniel Dennett
can american philosopher daniel dennett rescue our conception of free will from the arguments of hardline deniers like strawson and harris? that is surely what he sets out to do in his 1984 free space: free will varieties worth wishing for. A witty and engaging read, in this landmark book, Dennett makes a powerful case for compatibilism, arguing that the varieties of free will that support moral and artistic responsibility are threatened not by determinism or the findings of neuroscience, but more well contextualized by them. Unraveling errors in common thinking about free will, Dennett arms his readers with powerful ways to conceptualize the nuances of the debate. This is essential reading for anyone interested in free will, and if you enjoy it, it’s worth checking out Dennett’s 2004 work, Fantastically Lucid Freedom Evolves, in which he attempts to demonstrate how human freedom is embedded in our biology.
further reading
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