FREE WILL AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITY

David Shoemaker

In this seminar we will examine several important (classical and contemporary) articles on the problems surrounding free will and moral responsibility.  We will start by exploring the various standard positions involved (hard determinism, libertarianism, and naïve compatibilism), doing so primarily to set the stage for several articles by Harry Frankfurt.  Frankfurt articulates and wrestles with the most important problem for contemporary compatibilists, namely, the problem of identification: what makes certain motivationally efficacious psychological elements mine, and what renders others (e.g., cravings, irresistible impulses) external to me?  We will trace Frankfurt’s attempts to answer this question across several articles, bringing to bear critical essays by others as appropriate.  We will also explore the issue of moral responsibility insofar as it is closely related to the problem of identification.  As we go through these issues, one question we will keep an eye on is about methodology: what is the appropriate method by which we should tackle the problem of free will and responsibility?  As it turns out, the methodology used typically goes a long way towards determining the conclusions reached.

TEXTS: Gary Watson, ed., Free Will, Second Edition (Oxford University Press); Harry Frankfurt, The Importance of What We Care About (Cambridge University Press); I’ll also make available copies of articles not in either text that we’ll cover in class.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME:

Since I’m the new kid on the block, I figured it might be helpful for you to hear a little something about me and my work, along with how I foresee the seminar working.  I got my Ph.D. from UC Irvine in 1996.  I wrote a dissertation on the relation between personal identity and normative ethics (my advisor was Gary Watson).  I’ve since worked in a number of different places (Arkansas State, Univ. of Memphis, UC Riverside, and for the last four years as an Assistant Professor at Cal State, Northridge), so I hope to be able to settle down at BGSU now.  I currently have many research projects.  I’m working on a paper on motivational reasons for action, two papers on stem cell/embryo research (and its relation to personal identity), and a paper on moral responsibility.  I’m also writing a book on the relation between personal identity, ethics, autonomy, and moral responsibility.  This seminar will thus focus on the issues I’m writing about in the last part of the book (on autonomy and responsibility).  I foresee the seminar working as follows: for the first part of each meeting I’ll try and articulate (and have us discuss) the key elements of each article we’ll have read, and for the second part I’ll want to have us talk about the questions that you’ll have written up in advance about the articles.  In addition, I’ll want to work with you as you write up a paper for the course.  To that end, I hope that we’ll also have time for you to present your ongoing work to the group.  I’m really looking forward to working with you this year (and beyond). 

On a personal note, my hobbies include (a) sitting in pubs talking about philosophy, movies, and politics, (b) writing and recording music, (c) playing poker, and (d) throwing parties.  I hope you’ll occasionally be able to join me in one or more of these activities from time to time.