Free Will
Sourcehood and its Alternatives
Published on 23. September 2008
Book
Hardback
208 pages
978-0-8264-9625-6 (ISBN)
Description
Contemporary debates on free will are numerous and multifaceted. According to compatibilists, it is possible for an agent to be determined in all her choices and actions and still be free. Incompatibilists, on the other hand, think that the existence of free will is incompatible with the truth of determinism. There are also two dominant conceptions of the nature of free will. According to the first, it is primarily a function of being able to do otherwise than one in fact does. The second approach focuses on issues of sourcehood, holding that free will is primarily a function of an agent being the source of her actions in a particular way. This book guides the student through all these debates, demarcating the different conceptions of free will, exploring the relationships between them, and examining how they relate to the debate between compatibilists and incompatibilists. In the process, it addresses a number of other views, including revisionism and free will scepticism. This is the ideal introduction to the contemporary debates for students at all levels.
Reviews / Votes
'Timpe's Free Will: Sourcehood and Its Alternatives, is a very fine book that is highly recommended for anyone interested in the contemporary debates about free will and moral responsibility. Timpe is remarkably well-versed in the literature, and the book makes many intriguing and illuminating contributions.' Professor John Fischer, University of California Riverside, USA A valuable contribution to this series, introducing the reader to the fascinating but often complex philosophical issues pertaining to the discussion of free will. -- Ethical Perspectives Vol. 18More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
401 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8264-9625-6 (9780826496256)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
07/2008
1st Edition
Continuum Publishing Corporation
€189.99
Available for download
Person
Kevin Timpe is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Northwest Nazarene University, USA, and Templeton Research Fellow at St. Peter's College, University of Oxford, UK. He is the author of Free Will: Sourcehood and Its Alternatives (Continuum, 2008) and editor of Metaphysics and God (Routledge, 2009) and Arguing about Religion (Routledge, 2009). His recent publications have appeared in Philosophical Studies, American Philosophical Quarterly, Canadian Journal of Philosophy, Faith and Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Philosophia. He is Philosophy of Religion Area Editor for the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Content
Part I: Basic Issues and Positions; 1. Introduction; 2. The Compatibility Question; 3. Revisionist Views*; 4. Skeptical Views*; Part II: Alternative Possibilities; 5. The Debate Over the Ability to Do Otherwise; 6. A Revival of Classical Compatibilism*; 7. The Dilemma Defence; 8. Flickers of Freedom; Part III: Sourcehood; 9. Sourcehood and Compatibilism; 10. Sourcehood and Incompatibilism; 11. Sourcehood and Alternative Possibilities; Part IV: Looking Ahead; 12. Conclusions and Non-Conclusions*; Further Reading; Index. *New chapters