Just Deserts: Debating Free Will

Description

The concept of free will is profoundly important to our self-understanding,
our interpersonal relationships, and our moral and legal practices. If it
turns out that no one is ever free and morally responsible, what would that
mean for society, morality, meaning, and the law?Just Deserts brings together
two philosophers – Daniel C. Dennett and Gregg D. Caruso – to debate their
respective views on free will, moral responsibility, and legal punishment. In
three extended conversations, Dennett and Caruso present their arguments for
and against the existence of free will and debate their implications. Dennett
argues that the kind of free will required for moral responsibility is
compatible with determinism – for him, self-control is key; we are not
responsible for becoming responsible, but are responsible for staying
responsible, for keeping would-be puppeteers at bay. Caruso takes the opposite
view, arguing that who we are and what we do is ultimately the result of
factors beyond our control, and because of this we are never morally
responsible for our actions in the sense that would make us truly deserving of
blame and praise, punishment and reward.Just Deserts introduces the concepts
central to the debate about free will and moral responsibility by way of an
entertaining, rigorous, and sometimes heated philosophical dialogue between
two leading thinkers. Read more

Features:

Product Details:

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Polity; 1st edition (March 15, 2021)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 150954576X
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 66
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
• Best Sellers Rank: #426,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #166 in Free Will & Determinism Philosophy #500 in Philosophy (Books)
• #166 in Free Will & Determinism Philosophy
• #500 in Philosophy (Books)