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Thomas Reid on Freedom and Morality
William L. Rowe
Cornell University Press, 1991
In this succinct and well-written book, one of our most eminent philosophers provides a fresh reading of the view of freedom and morality developed by Thomas Reid (1710-1796). Although contemporary theorists have written extensively about the Scottish philosopher's contributions to the theory of knowledge, this is the first book-length study of his contributions to the controversy over freedom ...
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On Action (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy)
Carl Ginet
Cambridge University Press, 1990
This book deals with foundational issues in the history of the nature of action, the intentionality of action, the compatibility of freedom of action with determinism, and the explanation of action. Ginet's is a volitional view: that every action has as its core a "simple" mental action. He develops a sophisticated account of the individuation of actions and also propounds a challenging ...
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Responsibility and Control: A Theory of Moral Responsibility (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy and Law)
John Martin Fischer, Mark Ravizza
Cambridge University Press, 1999
This book provides a comprehensive, systematic theory of moral responsibility. The authors explore the conditions under which individuals are morally responsible for actions, omissions, consequences, and emotions. The leading idea in the book is that moral responsibility is based on "guidance control." This control has two components: the mechanism that issues in the relevant behavior must be the ...
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Freedom Evolves
Daniel C. Dennett
Viking Adult, 2003
Well Done Dennett
+ The evolution of freedom
+ A Strong Case for Darwinian Compatibilism
This book does a magnificent job of presenting the idea of freedom in a mathematical format that simply cannot be refuted. Are we determined mechanisms in a determined universe? Dennet says yes. But he argues effectively that this does NOT mean that we are fatally doomed to any particular future. ...
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Freedom and Belief (Clarendon Paperbacks)
Galen Strawson
Oxford University Press, USA, 1991
On the whole, we continue to believe firmly both that we have free will and that we are morally responsible for what we do. Here, the author argues that there is a fundamental sense in which there is no such thing as free will or true moral responsibility (as ordinarily understood). Devoting the main body of his book to an attempt to explain why we continue to believe as we do, Strawson examines ...
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The Oxford Handbook of Free Will (Oxford Handbooks)
Oxford University Press, USA, 2005
Kane's Compilation Will Leave You Proud To Lose An Argument
+ Oxford and Kane have done it again!
+ Robert Kane's *The Oxford Handbook on Free Will*
I first encountered Bob Kane's skill with the daedal discipline of free will in his book *The Significance of Free Will.* At that time, I realized that Kane had an almost suspicious talent for articulating my own objections, and then articulating a response that would often satisfy me more than my ...
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Free Will: A Philosophical Study (Focus Series)
Laura Waddell Ekstrom
Westview Press, 1999
In this comprehensive new study of human free agency, Laura Waddell Ekstrom critically surveys contemporary philosophical literature and provides a novel account of the conditions for free action. Ekstrom argues that incompatibilism concerning free will and causal determinism is true and thus the right account of the nature of free action must be indeterminist in nature. She examines a variety of ...
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A Contemporary Introduction to Free Will
Robert Kane
Oxford University Press, USA, 2005
Wonderful Introduction and Research Tool
+ One look at 'Kane, A Contemp. Intro. to Free Will'
+ Good Introduction to the Free Will Debate
Robert Kane's "Contemporary Introduction to Free Will" is hands down the finest text in its class. Professors who wish to include a component on free will in their introductory courses, or who are looking for a scholarly and accessible text for a class on free will and related issues, will find in ...
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The Consequences of Determinism: A Theory of Determinism, Volume 2 (Theory of Determinism Series)
Ted Honderich
Oxford University Press, USA, 1990
A unique take on the problems of determinism
Honderich does a nice job of arguing for an understanding of the determinism "problem" that accounts for its persistence and points a way "out." He argues that both compatibilists and incompatibilists made the mistake of arguing that everyone really, deep down inside, if they were just to think ...
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Free Will (Oxford Readings in Philosophy)
Oxford University Press, USA, 2003
Free Will by Gary Watson
+ Don't overestimate a simple textbook
+ Has some very good essays
In Free Will, Watson has brought together an astonishing collection of essays by some of this century's most insightful philosophers. Included are essays by such respected names as Norman Malcolm, A.J. Ayer, Peter Strawson, Daniel C. Dennett, etc. These essays do a wonderful job of bringing to ...
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The Significance of Free Will
Robert Kane
Oxford University Press, USA, 1998
Kane Presents the Most Promising Defense of Libertarianism
+ Wonderful except for its politics
+ Interesting, somewhat misguided
+ Great book - even if you don't agree with everything said
+ A brilliant exposition of the key issues for free will
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Free Will and Illusion
Saul Smilansky
Oxford University Press, USA, 2002
Readable metaphysics!
A bracing read. Technical and thorough but clear as gin. No matter what your perspective, it's in here---and gets a fair hearing. Suitable for lay readers as well as professionals, this is a good introduction to free will/determinism and a challenging new argument at the same time. If this book ...
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Metaphilosophy and Free Will
Richard Double
Oxford University Press, USA, 1996
Determinist philosophers vs. freewillist moralists
Completely confirms what I observed in reading other books about free will and determinism: determinists are critical philosophical theorists who seek a clear and true description of the world, while freewill advocates are essentially moralists rather than theoretical philosophers. This is the ...
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Freedom and Determinism (Topics in Contemporary Philosophy)
The MIT Press, 2004
This collection of contemporary essays by prominent contemporary thinkers on the topics of determinism and free agency concentrates primarily on two areas: the compatibility problem and the metaphysics of moral responsibility. There are also essays on the related fields of determinism and action theory. The book is unique in that it contains up-to-date summaries of the life-work of five ...
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The Illusion of Conscious Will (Bradford Books)
Daniel M. Wegner
The MIT Press, 2003
Excellent step forward an a core issue of cognitive science, but punches get pulled a bit at the end
Along with that, it's an excellent refutation of the illogic and weak knees of someone like Dan Dennett, as well as seeming to scare the hell out of a lot of amateur readers who perhaps should never be allowed near material like this in the first place.
The title speaks for itself. Wegner then ...
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