Syllabus

Freedom of choice is a central value in our society and we often defend it on the basis of the philosophical idea of free will. Yet that idea has faced many challenges from both religious and scientific world views. If God has preordained all events toward a certain end, or if the laws of nature are such that given a state of affairs only one outcome can follow, then in what sense are we free? In this course we will examine the idea of free will and the challenge posed by a variety of determinisms. First we will examine the philosophical definition of the problem. Then we will discuss two classical solutions to the problem—free will as either compatible or incompatible with determinism—and the implications of each solution for the idea of moral responsibility. The rest of the course will be devoted to the repercussions of the debate in a variety of broader contexts. We will examine religious and scientific determinisms in more depth, and then turn to the ways in which social systems are thought to determine our choices in the legal, economic, and political spheres. Finally we will consider what kind of personal freedom is defensible in light of these debates.

B. Written and Oral Assignments: There are ten assignments that you must complete. The first will be graded either as “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory”; the rest will be given a standard number grade. Below I provide more detailed descriptions of each one. (In order to remind you of their due dates, I have listed them again in the “skills” section of the class schedule.)

Assignment 1: (5%) Read the selection from Walden Two by B.F. Skinner. Is this a place in which you would want to live? Why or why not? Write a one to two page answer in your own voice, i.e., using “I” as the primary subject. Remember that this piece of writing, like all others in the tutorial, is public, in the sense that others may be asked to read it. It is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, August 29.

Assignment 2: (10%) You are to write a 1-2 page summary of Kai Nielson’s article, “The Compatibility of Freedom and Determinism” (pages 39-46 in the Kane anthology). Use active sentence structure and well-organized paragraphs in order to summarize the major points. This is due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, August 25^th.

Assignment 3: (10%) You must write an introductory paragraph with an argumentative thesis. For the topic of the projected paper, to which this will be the introduction, see assignment #4. Make sure that you: a) have an opening sentence or two that draws the reader in, perhaps by stating a problem; b) mention the main topics (or opposing positions) to be discussed; and c) an argumentative thesis (i.e., one that takes a position on issue; whose antithesis [contradiction] you disagree with). It might be helpful to have a tentative outline of the paper, especially for (b). This assignment is due on Monday, August 30^th at the beginning of class.

Assignment 4: (15%) 1^st paper. You are to write a short, three to four page paper on the following topic: Does determinism endanger free will? You should explain: (a) the problem that the doctrines of compatibilism and incompatibilism address; (b) the main points or arguments in favor of your version of either compatibilism or incompatibilism; (c) one or two important criticisms of the argument (or some key aspect of it); (d) and your response to that criticism. You should take care to use active sentence structure, well-organized paragraphs, a well-structured introduction (i.e., one that at least has a good opening and that indicates the main points you will discuss) with an argumentative thesis, and a conclusion. Two copies of the first draft are due at the beginning of class on Thursday, September 2^nd.

Assignment 5: (5%) Comments on the first draft. You will be assigned the first draft of another student’s paper and you will be required to write at least one-half page (typed) of comments on it. You should divide your comments into two sections: 1) style, in which you will comment on way in which the paper has been written (i.e., how well has it met our criteria of grammar, style, and organization); and 2) content, in which you will comment on the ideas presented. Make sure that your comments are constructive; be a critical but charitable reader, whose aim it is to improve the paper. Two copies of your comments are due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, September 7^th.

Assignment 6: (10%) Revision of 1^st paper. You are to revise your paper using as a guide your own thoughts for improvement as well as those comments that have been given to you by the instructor and fellow student. You should turn in your first draft, as well as the comments you received on it, along with the revised draft. Your final grade on the paper will take into account the degree of improvement as well as the final quality of the work. The revised draft is due at the beginning of class on Thursday, September 9^th.

Assignment 7: (15%) Oral presentation. During the last week of class you will be required to make a brief oral presentation. Your assignment is to choose one of the topics in Sections V-VII of the class (i.e., Physics, Biology, or Economics) and offer a brief oral argument in favor of some position on one of the debates we have discussed. The presentation itself should be no longer than 10 minutes in length and you should be prepared to answer questions afterwards. The structure of the oral presentation can be very much like that of a paper, though it should take into account the medium of the presentation. In other words, you should not read a paper, and you should remember that we are not reading the presentation. I would also like you to use at least one source that I have not assigned in class. At least one of your sources should not be from the internet, that is, I would like you to look for another source in the library. Your presentation should present the facts, but it should also make a case, that is, it should evaluate the issues. I expect you to practice your presentation beforehand, so that it flows smoothly and fits within the time limit, and also to prepare some kind of visual aid, such as a hand-out or blackboard outline. Please consult with me ahead of time about your topic. There will be a sign-up sheet for the presentation slot, which will be either on Monday, 9/13, Tuesday, 9/14, or Wednesday, 9/15.

Assignment 8: (15%) 2^nd paper. You will be expected to write a second paper, this time from four to five pages in length, on the following topic: Choose one debate in sections V through X of the course and offer an argument for one side of it. You can use any of the articles we have read, as well as your own arguments, to illustrate or support your points. You should structure this paper in much the same way as the first paper, as outlined in Assignment #4. This paper, like the last one, ought to follow all the writing guidelines we have discussed. Two copies of the first draft are due on Monday, September 13^th.

Assignment 9: (5%) Comments on first draft of 2^nd paper. You will be assigned the first draft of another student’s paper and you will be required to write at least one page (typed) of comments on it. As before, you should comment on both the style and content of the paper. Two copies of your comments are due on Tuesday, September 14^th.

Assignment 10: (10%) Revision of first draft of 2^nd paper. You are to revise your paper using as a guide your own thoughts for improvement as well as those comments that have been given to you by the instructor and fellow student. You should turn in your first draft, as well as the comments you received on it, along with the revised draft. Your final grade on the paper will take into account the degree of improvement as well as the final quality of the work. The revised draft is due on Friday, September 17^th, at 5pm in my box in the Philosophy Department office (Savery 345).

a) Late Assignments. Assignments turned in late will count but points will automatically be deducted (0.5 for each day late) from any assignment turned in after the beginning of class on the due date. Any assignment that relates to another (e.g., paper drafts, comments, etc.) will receive a zero if they are turned in more than two days late. Given the compressed time period we have, the success of this class (and your success in it) depends on turning your assignments in on time.

b) Final Grade. Each assignment will be graded and calculated into the final grade. Above in parentheses I have assigned an approximate percentage weight of each assignment in determining your final grade. Although I intend to use this as a guide to assigning a final grade, I reserve the right to make adjustments to it in order to reflect my judgment of student learning in the course. Most importantly, I may adjust final grades (up to .25 points, which is the equivalent of one half letter grade) depending on participation. Please note: Because the assignments build on and depend upon one another all assignments must be completed in order to pass this course. No exceptions will be made.

The following books are required for the course and are available for purchase in the college bookstore. Some additional readings will be made available in a Xerox packet.

Dupré, John. Human Nature and the Limits of Science. Oxford University Press, 2001.

Frank, Thomas. The Conquest of Cool. University of Chicago Press, 1997 (Xeroxed selections).

Warburton, Nigel, editor. Freedom: An Introduction with Readings. Routledge, 2001.

Williams, Joseph, Style: Toward Clarity and Grace. University of Chicago Press, 1995.

Below you will find a detailed class schedule. Readings are listed by author, except for The College Writer’s Reference, which is listed as CWR.

I. The Problem: We believe ourselves to be free yet the more we understand the world the more we realize that our actions have been determined. What are the philosophical grounds of our freedom?

II. Two Solutions: Compatibilism & Incompatibilism. Some philosophers have argued that freedom is compatible with determinism; others that it is incompatible. We will examine some of these arguments.

III. Conceptions of Moral Responsibility: How do the doctrines of compatibilism and incompatibilism account for moral responsibility?

IV. God Made Me Do It: The idea of free will developed in tension with strong conceptions of God’s providence. Some believed that we are free to earn God’s grace or punishment; others thought that the good were predetermined to reward and the bad to suffer. How do these religious concepts affect contemporary debate?

V. Physics Made Me Do It: The modern appeal of determinism was based on the success of classical physics as an explanatory schema. In what sense are we free if the natural world is inexorably determined by natural laws? Are there any alternative possibilities raised by quantum theory?

VI. Biology Made Me Do it: Do our genes determine our destiny? We will discuss the challenge and appeal of sociobiology.

VII. Capitalism Made Me Do It: Consumer choice is a cherished value of our economy and yet consumers are bombarded with attempts to determine their behavior. Do we really express our freedom through buying or are we the mere pawns of manipulative corporations?

VIII. Society Made Me Do It: The idea of free will is also important in the domain of law. We justify punishment on the grounds that an individual chose to act criminally. Yet we also recognize that circumstances beyond an individual’s control may have played an important role in the event. How do we reconcile these perspectives in law?

IX. The Government Made Me Do It: Have political marketing and the increasing sophistication of political institutions refined the idea of coercion and eroded our traditional sense of political freedom? What are the political implications of the free will and determinism debate?