Harry Frankfurt's Argument Essay

1797 Words8 Pages

“Determinism is the philosophical idea that every event or state of affairs, including every human decision and action, is the inevitable and necessary consequence of antecedent states of affairs”(Information Philosopher, 2015). It refers to the claim that, at any moment or place in time, there is only one possible future for the whole universe. However, the concept of determinism often comes into question when looking into whether human beings possess free will. Free Will can be defined as “the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion” (Defence of Reason, 2014). The very definition of the terms determinism and free will appear to be conflicting however, many philosophical thinkers …show more content…

His position in regards to his argument is directly outlined at the beginning of the text to insure that readers are aware of the author’s intensions. He uses examples of situations in which the current principle of alternative possibilities is faulted and concisely pulls apart each situation to determine exactly what constitutes the excision of morally responsibility. The article clearly outlines Frankfurt’s arguments, however it becomes evident in particular sections that Frankfurt’s arguments become slightly repetitive as he tries to, perhaps over simplify his arguments to ensure his reader understand his position. As someone who has never been exposed to the principle of alternative possibilities and its implications of moral responsibility for ones actions I found Frankfurt’s arguments were well illustrated and provided strong persuasion with appeal to reason. Frankfurt not only provides sound reasoning behind his arguments about how the principle of possible alternatives is false, however, he does suggest possible ways to revise the principle so that it is more accurate. Despite minor imperfection in the text it is a logical and well-formed argument that is highly

Open Document