Free Will (3)

Incompatibilism is the belief that free will and determinism are mutually exclusive, and that the question of whether or not humans have free will is tied to the question of whether or not their actions are predetermined. Hard determinists, such as d'Holbach, accept determinism and reject free will, while metaphysical libertarians, like Thomas Reid and Robert Kane, accept free will and deny determinism, claiming that some form of indeterminism is true. There is also the belief of hard incompatibilism, which asserts that free will is incompatible with both determinism and indeterminism. Arguments for incompatibilism often involve comparing humans to mechanical objects that are determined in their behavior, such as puppets or robots, and claiming that if humans are similar to these objects, they must not have free will. Another argument is the "causal chain," which states that if a person has free will, they must be the ultimate cause of their actions. If determinism is true, then all of a person's choices are caused by external events and factors, leading to the conclusion that they cannot have free will. Incompatibilism can also take the form of metaphysical libertarianism, which holds that an agent must be able to choose from multiple potential courses of action in any given set of circumstances. Non-causal and event-causal accounts of incompatibilist free will also exist, and rely on physical indeterminism or the idea that the world is not causally closed.

Hard incompatibilism is the belief that free will is incompatible with determinism, regardless of whether determinism is true or not. This view holds that the concept of free will is meaningless and leads to an infinite regress. Derk Pereboom identifies several positions within hard incompatibilism, including the belief that determinism is true but we lack free will, that we don't know if we have free will, and that we have free will but it is compatible with determinism. John Locke and Galen Strawson also support hard incompatibilism, arguing that the truth of determinism is irrelevant and that the concept of free will is impossible.

Causal determinism is the belief that all events, including those related to human action, are caused by prior events and natural laws. In other words, according to causal determinism, everything that happens is the inevitable result of past events and the laws of nature. One of the most common forms of causal determinism is nomological determinism, which holds that the past and present determine the future through unchangeable natural laws. Some scientists believe that the physical universe may be deterministic, but this view is challenged by certain interpretations of quantum mechanics, which suggest that indeterminism may exist at the subatomic level. The debate over determinism and indeterminism in the physical world continues.

Fate and destiny refer to the idea that certain events are predetermined to happen and that there is a fixed natural order to the universe. Fate is often associated with determinism, the belief that the future is determined by past and present events combined with natural laws. Destiny, on the other hand, suggests that there is a set course that cannot be changed, but does not necessarily conflict with the idea of free will. Some people believe that free will allows individuals to choose their own destiny, while others believe that fate is fixed and cannot be altered. Ultimately, the concept of fate and destiny is a matter of personal belief and interpretation.

Destiny is the concept that there is a predetermined course of events that cannot be deviated from. This idea is based on the belief that the cosmos has a fixed natural order. Some people believe that fate, or the idea that certain events are predetermined and cannot be changed, is linked to determinism, the idea that every event is determined by past and present events according to natural laws. However, fate does not necessarily involve the concept of physical determinism. Even with the existence of physical indeterminism, an event could still be said to be fated by external forces. Similarly, destiny does not necessarily conflict with the idea of free will, as it does not specify how the predetermined course of events was set. If free will exists, it could be the mechanism through which a destined outcome is chosen. The concept of logical determinism, or the idea that all propositions about the past, present, and future are either true or false, creates a problem for the existence of free will because it means that the truth value of future events is already determined in the present. This is known as the problem of future contingents.

Omniscience, or the ability to know everything, is often attributed to a divine being. This belief can raise questions about free will, as it implies that everything, including future events, is predetermined. Some argue that an omniscient creator must have fixed all events and outcomes in the universe in advance, leading to a form of determinism such as predestination. This means that even if an individual has some control over their own actions, their choices may not truly be their own, conflicting with the concept of libertarian free will. The belief in omniscience can also lead to arguments about the existence of God, such as the argument from free will, which posits that omnipotence and goodness in a creator deity are incompatible with free will.

Predeterminism is the belief that all events, including human actions, have been predetermined and cannot be changed. This belief suggests that the course of events has already been set and that humans have no control over their own destinies. Some people argue that predeterminism is a form of determinism, meaning that all events are caused by prior events in an unbroken chain stretching back to the beginning of the universe. Others believe that predeterminism is independent of determinism, and instead suggests that a conscious being has deliberately and consciously planned out the causality of all events. Some people equate predeterminism with fatalism, which is the belief that everything is fated to happen and that humans have no control over their future. Predestination, a doctrine held by Calvinists in Christian theology, is a form of predeterminism that suggests that a supremely powerful being has predetermined all events and outcomes in the universe.