Dialectical synthesis of free will and determinism

 Natural freedom of self-determination (free will). is one of the three main types of freedom. The other two are circumstantial freedom of self-realization (freedom of action), and acquired freedom of self-perfection, which is the ability to will as one ought. 

To form a dialectical synthesis between determinism and free will, we can employ a combination of approaches, including changing definitions, creating new distinctions, and establishing a hierarchy.

Here's a potential dialectical synthesis:

Redefining Free Will and Determinism

First, let's redefine free will and determinism in a way that allows for compatibility:

Free Will: The capacity to make choices based on one's own reasons, motivations, and character, even if those factors are shaped by prior causes.

Determinism: The view that all events, including human decisions, are the inevitable result of prior causes, but not necessarily predictable or reducible to simple physical laws.

Creating New Distinctions

1. We can create distinctions between different levels of causation and agency:
2. Macro-level Freedom: The ability to act according to one's own reasons and motivations, which is compatible with determinism.
3. Micro-level Determinism: The underlying causal chain of events that shapes our reasons and motivations.

Establishing a Hierarchy

1. We can create a hierarchy of determinism and free will that acknowledges both concepts:
2. Fundamental Determinism: At the most basic level, the universe operates according to causal principles.
3. Emergent Complexity: As systems become more complex, new properties and behaviors emerge that are not easily reducible to lower-level causes.
4. Human Agency: At the level of human cognition and decision-making, we experience a form of free will that is emergent from, but not reducible to, lower-level deterministic processes.

Synthesizing the Concepts

Using these redefined terms, new distinctions, and hierarchical structure, we can propose a synthesis:

Human free will emerges from deterministic processes but operates at a higher level of complexity. Our choices are influenced by prior causes, but they are not merely the sum of those causes. Instead, our ability to reason, reflect, and make decisions based on our own motivations constitutes a form of free will that is compatible with underlying determinism [1]. This synthesis acknowledges that our actions are caused by prior events (determinism) while maintaining that we have the capacity to make meaningful choices (free will). It recognizes that human decision-making involves a complex interplay of factors, including conscious deliberation, unconscious influences, and external circumstances [2].

Furthermore, this view aligns with compatibilist perspectives in philosophy, which argue that free will and determinism are not mutually exclusive [3]. It also accommodates scientific understandings of human behavior, which recognize both the influence of causal factors and the importance of individual agency [4].

 By adopting this synthesized view, we can maintain moral responsibility and the concept of choice while acknowledging the role of causal factors in shaping our decisions. This approach allows us to reconcile our intuitive sense of free will with a scientific understanding of causality, providing a more nuanced and comprehensive view of human agency [5].

Sources

1 en.wikipedia

2 Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

3 en.wikipedia

4 Britannica

5 Scirp

Compatibilism

Belief that free will and determinism are mutually compatible

Definition

Compatibilism is the belief that free will and determinism can coexist without contradiction

Support for moral responsibility

Compatibilism is often used to argue for the compatibility between moral responsibility and determinism

Historical origins

Ancient Stoics, medieval scholastics like Thomas Aquinas, and Enlightenment philosophers like David Hume supported compatibilism

Libertarian view of free will vs determinism

The idea that "we choose the causes of our choices" aligns most closely with libertarian theories of free will and self-causation in philosophy. This perspective emphasizes human agency and self-determination in decision-making. Let's explore this concept in more detail:

Libertarian Free Will

Libertarian free will is a philosophical position that asserts humans have genuine free will and are the ultimate source of their choices. Key aspects of this view include:

Incompatibilism: Libertarianism holds that free will is incompatible with determinism. It rejects the idea that all events are caused by prior events according to natural laws.

Agent Causation: This theory posits that agents (people) can initiate causal chains that are not predetermined by prior events or laws of nature.

Self-Determination: Individuals are seen as having the capacity to make decisions that are not fully determined by past events and circumstances.

Self-Causation

The notion that "we choose the causes of our choices" relates closely to the concept of self-causation or agent causation. This idea suggests that:

Humans have the ability to be the ultimate source of their actions.

Our choices are not merely the result of external factors or prior causes, but originate from the agent themselves.

We have the power to shape our own character and motivations, which in turn influence our future choices.

Philosophical Implications

This perspective has several important philosophical implications:

Moral Responsibility: If we truly choose the causes of our choices, it strengthens arguments for moral responsibility, as our actions stem from our own free decisions.

Metaphysical Freedom: It suggests a form of metaphysical freedom that goes beyond mere political or social liberty.

Critique of Determinism: This view challenges hard determinism, which holds that all events, including human decisions, are the inevitable result of prior causes.

Existential Significance: It aligns with existentialist ideas about human freedom and the responsibility to create one's own essence through choices.

Challenges and Criticisms

While compelling to many, this philosophical position faces several challenges:

Scientific Compatibility: It can be difficult to reconcile with scientific understandings of causality and the physical world.

Randomness Problem: Critics argue that if our choices are not determined by prior causes, they might be random, which doesn't seem like true freedom.

Empirical Evidence: Some argue that neuroscientific findings challenge the idea of conscious control over our decision-making processes.

In conclusion, the idea that "we choose the causes of our choices" is most closely associated with libertarian theories of free will and self-causation. While intuitively appealing to many and supportive of common notions of moral responsibility, it remains a contentious position in philosophy, facing challenges from both scientific and philosophical perspectives.

NOW:

Reconciliation of compatiblism with libertariansim

The libertarian view of free will presents some challenges in forming a dialectical synthesis with determinism, as it fundamentally opposes the idea that our choices are fully determined by prior causes. However, we can explore how aspects of libertarianism might be incorporated into a more nuanced understanding of free will and determinism. Here's how the libertarian perspective could fit into this synthesis:

Incorporating Libertarian Elements

Agent Causation: Libertarians often argue for a form of agent causation, where individuals can initiate new causal chains. We could integrate this concept by proposing that:

At the level of human agency, individuals have the capacity to introduce novel elements into the decision-making process that are not fully reducible to prior causes.

This doesn't negate determinism entirely, but suggests a form of "soft libertarianism" where human choice introduces a degree of unpredictability into the causal chain.

Indeterminism at the Quantum Level: Some libertarian theories draw on quantum indeterminacy to support free will. We could incorporate this by acknowledging that:

At the micro level, quantum indeterminacy introduces an element of unpredictability into physical systems.

This indeterminacy might be amplified through complex neural processes, allowing for a form of libertarian free will to emerge at the macro level of human decision-making.

Modifying the Synthesis

To accommodate libertarian insights, we might modify our synthesis as follows:

Layered Determinism: Instead of a strict determinism, we could propose a layered model where deterministic processes dominate at some levels, while indeterministic or agent-causal processes operate at others.

Emergent Libertarianism: We could suggest that libertarian free will emerges as a higher-order property from the complex interplay of deterministic and indeterministic processes in the brain.

Degrees of Freedom: Rather than a binary free will/determinism dichotomy, we could propose a spectrum of freedom, where some decisions are more determined and others more "free" in the libertarian sense.

Revised Synthesis

Incorporating these elements, a revised synthesis might look like this:

Human agency emerges from a complex interplay of deterministic and indeterministic processes. At the fundamental level, the universe operates largely according to causal principles, but with elements of quantum indeterminacy. As systems become more complex, new properties emerge, including the capacity for self-reflection and reasoned decision-making.

At the level of human cognition, we experience a form of free will that includes both compatibilist elements (choices based on our reasons and character) and libertarian elements (the ability to introduce genuinely novel causal chains). This free will is neither absolute nor illusory, but a genuine capacity that exists within the constraints of our physical and social environment.

Our choices are influenced by prior causes and unconscious factors, but not entirely determined by them. Through conscious deliberation and the unique complexity of human consciousness, we can introduce new elements into the decision-making process, allowing for a meaningful sense of authorship over our actions.

This synthesis acknowledges the scientific evidence for causal influences on behavior while preserving the libertarian intuition that our choices are not fully predetermined. It allows for moral responsibility by recognizing our capacity to reflect on and shape our decisions, while also acknowledging the myriad factors that influence our choices.

By integrating libertarian concepts into a more nuanced understanding of free will and determinism, we can develop a richer, more comprehensive view of human agency that respects both scientific findings and our lived experience of making choices.