24.221: Metaphysics
Prof. Sally Haslanger
April 2, 2003
Third Homework Assignment
Provide short answers in your own words to the following questions based
on your reading of Ayer’s “Freedom and Necessity” (in Free Will, pp. 15-23).
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on: 4/9/03
No late assignments will be accepted.
1. What are the two assumptions that give rise to the problem of freedom
of the will?
2. Ayer believes that both assumptions are true. Give Ayer’s
reasons for thinking that “the moralist” can’t just reject the assumption
of determinism and still get what she wants. (Hint: say what the moralist
wants and why simply rejecting determinism doesn’t achieve this.)
3. Ayer introduces a contrast between “causation” and “constraint”.
Give two examples of situations in which Ayer would say that a person is
being “constrained” or compelled.
4. On behalf of someone who might object to his position, Ayer points
out:
Again, it may be true that no one now compels me to get
up and walk across the room: but if my doing so can be
causally explained in terms of my history or my environment, or whatever
it may be, then how am I any more free
than if some other person had compelled me? I do not have the feeling
of constraint that I have when a
pistol is manifestly pointed at my head; but the chains of causation by which
I am bound are no less effective for being invisible.
(p. 21)
What is Ayer’s response to this objection? How can he say that one
who is not compelled, though is caused to behave in a certain
way is nevertheless free?