A Justification On Compatibilism Of Moral Responsibility Under The Perspective Of Determinism | Posted on:2017-04-15 | Degree:Master | Type:Thesis | Country:China | Candidate:X L Wang | Full Text:PDF | GTID:2295330488453335 | Subject:Ethics | Abstract/Summary: | PDF Full Text Request | There are three conflicting statements in regard to the world and moral responsibility:1. The world is deterministic;2. We hold no moral responsibility if we do not have free will;3. We have moral responsibility.Simultaneous establishment of any two statements will automatically reject the third one. Therefore, there will be three theories based on which two statements are applied:1. The theory of strong determinism:based on statement 1 and 2;2. The theory of freewill:based on statement 2 and 3;3. The theory of semi-compatibilism:based on statement 1 and 3;Since there are severe defects in the theories of the strong determinism and the theory of freewill, a tentative defense for the theory of semi-compatibilism is then conducted.Considering the fact that supporters of the theory of semi-compatibilism adopt the statements 1 and 3, a priority should be given to demonstrate that statement 2 is wrong. More specifically, a proof that freewill is not a necessary condition for moral responsibility is required.In the view of freewill theory, there are two facets accounting for the foundation of this statement 2:(a) the ultimate responsibility, and (b) the alternate possibilities. This article will demonstrate that neither of the two facets is feasible, so freewill cannot be a necessary condition for moral responsibility.Then, what is the condition for moral responsibility? On a summary of views from Schlick, Dennett and others, I improved compatibilism and reached a conclusion that an agent is able to bear moral responsibility to his act if and only if the possibility of the competence of his moral reflection to modify his act exists.And finally, this article will demonstrate that this moral responsibility is compatible to the theory of determinism. | Keywords/Search Tags: | determinism, freewill, moral responsibility, compatibilism, Frankfurt, Dennett | PDF Full Text Request | Related items |
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