The implications of rejecting free will: An empirical analysis
While skeptical arguments concerning free will have been a common element of philosophical discourse for thousands of years, one could make the case that such arguments have never been more numerous or forceful than at present. In response to these skeptical attacks, some philosophers
and psychologists have expressed concern that the widespread acceptance of such skeptical attitudes could have devastating social consequences. In this paper, I set out to address whether such concerns are well-founded. I argue that there is reason to believe that should skeptical arguments
result in the widespread dismissal of human free will, the results of such a dismissal are likely to be more positive than negative.
Keywords: Consequentialism; criminal justice; folk intuitions; free will; moral responsibility; public policy; skepticism
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: Department of Philosophy, College of Staten Island (CUNY), Staten Island, NY, USA
Publication date: 17 February 2018
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