Strong Libertarian Free Will and Libet's Intentions

Abstract

While other philosophers have pointed out that Libet's experiment is compatible with compatibilist free will and also with weak libertarian free will, this article argues that it is even compatible with strong libertarian free will (SLF), \ie a person's ability to initiate causal processes. Contrary to what Libet suggested, the actions in the experiment were motivated by urges. It is in accordance with SLF that the urges had preceding unconcious causes. Furthermore, Libet's observation that vetoing is possible confirmes SLF.

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Author's Profile

Daniel von Wachter
International Academy of Philosophy In The Principality of Liechtenstein

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References found in this work

Autonomous Agents: From Self Control to Autonomy.Alfred R. Mele - 1995 - New York, US: Oxford University Press.
Personal agency: the metaphysics of mind and action.E. J. Lowe - 2008 - New York: Oxford University Press.
The Evolution of the Soul.Richard Swinburne - 1986 - Oxford, GB: Oxford University Press.
Person and Object.Roderick Chisholm - 1976 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 39 (2):281-283.
Conscious intention and brain activity.Patrick Haggard & Benjamin W. Libet - 2001 - Journal of Consciousness Studies 8 (11):47-63.

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