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Throughout history, philosophers have questioned the possibility of free will. Over time, the debate has branched out into a number of simplified positions regarding the topic:

a) Determinism: The idea that the nature of the universe at any point in time is determined by the nature of the universe at an earlier point in time.

i) Compatibilism: A theory that states that there is no such conflict between determinism and consistent free will and that they are logically entirely compatible with each other. ii) Hard Incompatibilism: A theory that suggests that free will is untrue and that we are living in a deterministic universe.

b) Indeterminism: The idea that the nature of the universe is not determined by previous points in time

i) Libertarianism: The view that suggests free will and determinism are incompatible; determinism is untrue and individuals do maintain relevant free will.

I. Derk Pereboom: “Why We Have No Free Will and Can Live Without It”

In his paper, “Why We Have No Free Will and Can Live Without It”, Derk Pereboom sets out to argue in favour of hard incompatibilism. He begins by addressing another philosopher, Baruch Spinoza, who heavily embraced determinism. According to Spinoza, considering the fact that determinism is true, we lack the type of free will needed for moral duties. Though Pereboom



agrees with Spinoza on the stance of free will and moral duties, he maintains that the case would be equally true even without the factors of determinism.

Through careful elimination, Pereboom justifies hard incompatibilism by claiming that the positions of libertarianism and compatibilism are inaccurate and misleading. In his paper, Pereboom offers four different scenarios in which an individual, Professor Plum, commits a...

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...we are beneath determinism.

III. Conclusion

To conclude, both Pereboom and Kane come to two very distinct settlements on the debate in question. Both of these philosophers have different beliefs on how we should assess and approach the conceptual ideas of free will. Each position is constantly under scrutiny as philosophers and scientists alike, attempt to decipher and dismiss the multiple theories that have developed over the years. Furthermore, with so much emphasis placed on this particular debate, many people even begin to associate free will with the possibility of an existing higher power.

Despite the detail and thought that went into both Pereboom and Kanes’ work, the debate of free will is nowhere near being settled. Regardless, it is the possible ideas and theories such as these that allow us to explore and understand the concepts that make up our universe.