3rd essay - Introduction to Philosophy 3rd Short Paper Assignment In this short paper I am going to compare and contrast libertarianism and determinism

Introduction to Philosophy 3 rd Short Paper Assignment October 29, 2007 In this short paper I am going to compare and contrast libertarianism and determinism. After I state the similarities and differences of each of these basic views of free will, I will give a reason as to why I think libertarianism is a more reasonable view than determinism. Determinism is the belief that every event, including every intentional action of a human being, is determined by prior causes. Determinists are objected to the idea of free will because our actions are involuntary and we are not morally responsible for them. They also believe that we feel we have freedom because it is an evolutionary necessity and we would die otherwise. However, that is a contradiction because if we believe we have freedom then we must possess free will. Libertarianism, on the other hand, is the belief that human beings possess free will, have moral responsibility, and have the ability to choose differently. In Van Inwagen’s piece, he uses the example of a “garden of forking paths” to help define libertarianism and determinism.