Freewill and Determinism

Short Description

What the module deals with

The spectacular development of intelligent computers makes us ask, Are they safe? Might they break free of us, rebel, go their own way?

Maybe this isn't a danger, because we will never be able to equip machines with free-will.

Maybe if we are machines ourselves we don't and can't have free-will either. How much would this matter?

We pursue the questions: Are our actions all caused? If they are, does that rule out free-will? Does it mean that the future is fixed? Does it mean we might as well stay in bed?

These questions tempt us into several areas at the heart of philosophy - philosophy of mind and ethics to name two. This aspect of the module therefore hopes to work as

• an introduction to philosophical thinking through a central, topical and obsessing problem in philosophy;
• a stimulus to second year work in the philosophy of mind; and
• a stimulus to second year work in ethics.