Essay on Libertarianism - 1127 Words

For centuries philosophers have debated over the presence of free will. As a result of these often-heated arguments, many factions have evolved, the two most prominent being the schools of Libertarianism and of Determinism. Within these two schools of thought lies another debate, that of compatibilism, or whether or not the two believes can co-exist. In his essay, Has the Self â€Å"Free Will†?, C.A. Campbell, a staunch non-compatiblist and libertarian, attempts to explain the Libertarian argument. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;To achieve this, Campbell first sets out the two pre-suppositions necessary to the Libertarian argument. Firstly, he defines which kind of freedom he is discussing when he speaks of free will. Campbell characterizes†¦show more content†¦This is all that is needed to maintain the agent’s moral responsibility. With these definitions in place, Campbell has finally set the stage for his argument. To begin his argument, Campbell attempts to provide sufficient evidence for Libertarianism. He contends that, from phenomenological analysis, the self is inescapably convinced that it possesses a freedom in the decision to exert or withhold the moral effort needed to rise to duty (389). In laymen’s terms, when one must make a moral choice, one can hear both the call to duty and the desire to do the opposite. This conflict and the opportunity to choose offer proof, as far as Campbell is concerned, of moral freedom. While this may not be concrete proof, he claims that no one in the position of making a moral choice can deny that they are the sole author of that decision, nor can they deny that they could have chosen otherwise. It is through this experience of making moral choices that one can ascertain one’s moral freedom. Campbell’s next step is disproving the leading arguments and criticisms against Libertarianism, in order to secure its place as the leading philosophical view. If there are no sound arguments against Libertarianism, it must, therefore, be the pre-dominant theory. In order to achieve this Campbell attacks what he believes to be the two strongest criticisms: that of predictability and that of meaninglessness. TheShow MoreRelatedHow Libertarianism Is Not A Sound Philosophy916 Words   |  4 PagesLibertarianism, by definition, is â€Å"a collection of political philosophies that takes individual liberty to be the primary political value. They contend that the scope and powers of government should be constrained so as to allow each individual as much freedom of action as is consistent with a like freedom for everyone else† (Boaz). While there are many arguments on either side of the spectrum, the important thing to remember is that libertarianism is not a sound philosoph y. The idea behind libertarianismRead MoreIs There A Plausible Form Of Libertarianism?2144 Words   |  9 Pages Is there a plausible form of Libertarianism? Libertarianism, in its most general sense, is a political philosophy in which the upholding of individual liberty is the principle objective. More than that, however, Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and freedom of choice; believing that each individual has the right to make their own choices about how to live their lives – as long as they respect the rights of others to do the same. This paper will deviate from this general perception; insteadRead MoreThe Principle Of Libertarianism And The Government1232 Words   |  5 Pages However, freedom has always been the most popular right that every American constantly struggle to fight for. The Principle of Libertarianism is the individual right that everyone is entitled to and shall not be interfered by governments policy or regulations, as long as these individual rights would not harm others as well. Considering the principle of Libertarianism, it does cater to the American People by not only allowing individual rights that may protect the people from government corruptionRead MoreDeterminism, Compatibilism And Libertarianism1955 Words   |  8 Pagesscript we follow? The question of free will has stumped philosophers for years, in which philosophers have disagreed on the conclusion. There are several perspectives on this issue, the most popular of which are determinism, compatibilism and libertarianism. By discu ssing the similarities and differences of these perspectives, as well as the strengths and weaknesses, we can determine which of these is most accurate. Determinism is â€Å"the view that every event, including human actions, is broughtRead MoreHow Libertarianism Is The Best Of The Three Views1085 Words   |  5 Pagesof this essay is to prove that Libertarianism is the best of the three views, which refers to the idea of human free will being true, that one is not determined, and therefore, they are morally responsible. This essay will be strengthened with the views and arguments on C.A. Campbell. Campbell demonstrates that one could have done otherwise and one is the sole author of the choices they make. I will present a few arguments in the essay in support of Libertarianism and attempt to rebut the views ofRead MoreSupport and Contradictions of Hard Determinism and Libertarianism630 Words   |  2 Pagescontradict ordinary experiences, whereas the theory of libertarianism disregards event-causation. Philosopher Walter T. Stace proposed an alternative compatibilist philosophy. In order to recognize the ways in which Stace effe ctively amalgamates the two thesis utilizing his campatibilist approach, an objective examination of the three ideas is compulsory. The following article will define the support and contradictions of hard determinism and libertarianism, as well as clarify the ways in which compatibilismRead MorePhilosophy comparing libertarianism, compatibilism, and determinism2363 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿ Comparing Determinism, Compatibilism, and Libertarianism Patrick C Smith Ivy Tech Community College The question that the textbook poses at the very beginning of chapter four is, â€Å"Are you Free† (Chaffee, 2013, p. 172)? Most people would look at this question as pretty cut and dry and would answer a resounding yes. Philosophically speaking, it is not that easy of an answer. You have to be willing to look at the question with an open mind, and askRead MoreUtilitarianism Vs Libertarianism : Utilitarianism And Libertarianism1287 Words   |  6 Pagestalking about Utilitarianism and Libertarianism. These are two important theory’s that have been discussed for a very long time. These are two philosophies that elaborates how the citizen pleases to live by. Utilitarianism and Libertarianism may have similar things in common but at the same time they are very distinguishable. The Utilitarianism theory tries to maximize the happiness of the community and minimize the pain over all. On the other hand, Libertarianism focus on individual rights. TheyRead MoreThe Ethics O f Human Action1629 Words   |  7 PagesSandra Heitman John Loving Philosophy 101 May 8, 2017 Philosophers have long considered the question of whether or not we are in control of our fate or if it is determined by factors outside ourselves. Are we free? Determinism, compatibilism, and libertarianism are three different philosophical approaches to answering this question. Determinism is the view that outside forces are responsible for human actions (Chaffee, 2016, p. 159). Extreme determinists, or â€Å"hard† determinists argue that every humanRead MoreThe Theory Of Soft Determinism Essay834 Words   |  4 PagesCertainly, Richard Taylor is associated with Libertarianism. If you are asking who is considered a libertarian, then you should consider a libertarian anyone who believes that we have â€Å"free will†. In addition, libertarians also believe that free will is not compatible with determinism, which makes determinism false ultimately. To point out that determinism is the belief that an even was caused. With this being said, Taylor argues that â€Å"we are blameworthy only if we choose freely†, as Taylor is indicating