Supernatural Possibilities Harry Frankfurt

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In Alternate Possibilities and Moral Responsibility (CITE pg249-258), Harry Frankfurt presents his seminal argument to challenge traditional ideas that the “Principle of Alternate Possibilities” (The ability to do otherwise) is a necessary condition for free will and moral responsibility. This essay outlines why the Principle of Alternate Possibilities has been so widely accepted, outlines Frankfurt's challenge to the Principle. Ultimately, I argue that Frankfurt cases can show that the Principle of Alternate possibilities (PAP) is not a necessary condition for free will and moral responsibility. This analysis follows the conditions of the Incompatibilism Restricted Rule (IRR) Principle presented by Widerker. However, this is only true of Frankfurt cases without an intervener, where the limitation of alternatives is a consequence of your own neurology. …show more content…

An individual acted freely only if they could have done otherwise. P2. Free action implies moral responsibility. 3) I freely ’d. 3) I could have acted other than. I am morally responsible for ’ing This can be formulated into the principle. (PAP) A person is morally responsible for what they have done, only if they could have done otherwise. CITE - a. Frankfurt noticed that PAP is inconsistent with his compatibilist ideology that causal determinism (all events in the universe, including human decisions, are inevitable (CITE). ) and moral responsibility can be compatible. This is because: P1 If causal determinism is true, no one can act otherwise. P2. If no one can act otherwise, then (following PAP) no one is morally responsible. (C) Therefore, if causal determinism is true, then no one can ever be held morally responsible for any action. CITE para 5 - "The 'Cite' -find a new citation This conclusion highlights the tension between PAP and compatibility. To overcome this, an argument must be presented that states either Premise 1, or Premise 2 is false to entail the conclusion as

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