Free will
A capacity for choice central to moral responsibility debates.
Free will is generally understood as the capacity or ability of people to choose between different possible courses of action, exercise control over their actions in a way necessary for moral responsibility, or be the ultimate source of their actions. The concept is closely linked to moral responsibility, praise, culpability, and other judgments that logically apply only to freely chosen actions, and it has been a central topic of philosophical debate since ancient Greek philosophy.
- field
- Philosophy
- known_for
- Central concept in debates about determinism, moral responsibility, and agency
- related_concepts
- Determinism, compatibilism, incompatibilism, moral responsibility
Lore & Background
The problem of free will was identified in ancient Greek philosophical literature. The notion of compatibilist free will has been attributed to both Aristotle (4th century BCE) and Epictetus (1st century CE), who held that nothing hindering us from doing or choosing something gave us control over them. The notion of incompatibilist free will is perhaps first identified in the works of Alexander of Aphrodisias (3rd century CE), who argued that being causally undetermined in decision allows free choice. The term 'free will' (liberum arbitrium) was introduced by Christian philosophy in the 4th century CE, traditionally meaning lack of necessity in human will.
Reader's Guide
Free will remains a foundational issue in philosophy, with debates focusing on whether and how such freedom can coexist with physical determinism, divine foreknowledge, and other constraints. Incompatibilists argue that free will and determinism are logically incompatible, leading to positions such as metaphysical libertarianism (denying determinism) and hard determinism (denying free will). Compatibilists hold that free will is compatible with determinism, with some even arguing determinism is necessary for free will. The dilemma of reconciling free will with a deterministic universe leads to moral questions about assigning responsibility for actions if they are entirely caused by past events. Despite centuries of debate, the underlying questions—whether we possess the control over our actions we feel we have, and what sort of control we exercise—remain unresolved, with some modern philosophers lamenting the lack of progress.
Did You Know?
- The term 'free will' (liberum arbitrium) was introduced by Christian philosophy in the 4th century CE.
- Ancient Greek philosophy identified the problem of free will, which remains a major focus of philosophical debate.
- Some incompatibilists (hard incompatibilists) hold that free will is incompatible with both determinism and indeterminism.
- Classical compatibilists considered free will nothing more than freedom of action, meaning one could have done otherwise without physical impediment.
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