Thyssen, Pieter and Wenmackers, Sylvia (2020) Degrees of freedom. Synthese. ISSN 1573-0964
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Abstract
Human freedom is in tension with nomological determinism and with statistical determinism. The goal of this paper is to answer both challenges. Four contributions are made to the free-will debate. First, we propose a classification of scientific theories based on how much freedom they allow. We take into account that indeterminism comes in different degrees and that both the laws and the auxiliary conditions can place constraints. A scientific worldview pulls towards one end of this classification, while libertarianism pulls towards the other end of the spectrum. Second, inspired by Hoefer, we argue that an interval of auxiliary conditions corresponds to a region in phase space, and to a bundle of possible block universes. We thus make room for a form of non-nomological indeterminism. Third, we combine crucial elements from the works of Hoefer and List; we attempt to give a libertarian reading of this combination. On our proposal, throughout spacetime, there is a certain amount of freedom (equivalent to setting the initial, intermediate, or final conditions) that can be interpreted as the result of agential choices. Fourth, we focus on the principle of alternative possibilities throughout and propose three ways of strengthening it.
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| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | |||||||||
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| Keywords: | free will libertarianism physical theory auxiliary conditions principle of alternative possibilities nomological determinism statistical determinism indeterminism block universe phase space | |||||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Determinism/Indeterminism General Issues > Laws of Nature Specific Sciences > Physics > Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics General Issues > Structure of Theories |
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| Depositing User: | Dr. Pieter Thyssen | |||||||||
| Date Deposited: | 11 Jun 2020 07:05 | |||||||||
| Last Modified: | 11 Jun 2020 07:05 | |||||||||
| Item ID: | 17304 | |||||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Synthese | |||||||||
| Publisher: | Springer (Springer Science+Business Media B.V.) | |||||||||
| Official URL: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11229-02... | |||||||||
| DOI or Unique Handle: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-020-02714-z | |||||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Determinism/Indeterminism General Issues > Laws of Nature Specific Sciences > Physics > Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics General Issues > Structure of Theories |
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| Date: | 9 June 2020 | |||||||||
| ISSN: | 1573-0964 | |||||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/17304 |
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