It is widely accepted that David Hume's contribution to the free will debate is one of the most influential statements of the “compatibilist” position, where this is understood as the view that
human freedom and moral responsibility can be reconciled with (causal) determinism
.
Does Descarte believe in free will?
Freedom is a central theme in Descartes's philosophy, where it is linked to the theme of
the infinite
: it is through the freedom of the will, experienced as unlimited, that the human understands itself to bear the “image and likeness” of the infinite God.
Did Spinoza believe in free will?
“
Spinoza denied free-will
, because it was inconsistent with the nature of God, and with the laws to which human actions are subject. … There is nothing really contingent. Contingency, free determination, disorder, chance, lie only in our ignorance.
What is Spinoza's argument?
Spinoza's Ontological Argument, once unpacked, is as follows:
When two things have nothing in common, one cannot be the cause of the other
(Premise 1, E1p3). It is impossible for two substances to have the same attribute (or essence) (Premise 2, E1p5).
What are the three kinds of knowledge according to Spinoza?
Spinoza on imagination, reason, and intuition. In his Ethics, Baruch Spinoza identifies three kinds of knowledge, which are defined by the methods by which they are obtained.
The first is knowledge from imagination, the second is knowledge from reason, and the third is knowledge from intuition
.
Does Hume believe in God?
This combination of skepticism and empiricism leads many to presume that, regarding the question of God, Hume is
an atheist
or, at best, an agnostic. … Hume challenges some of the arguments for the existence of God, but repeatedly in his writings, he affirms God's existence and speculates about God's nature.
Which philosophers are hard determinists?
William James
was an American pragmatist philosopher who coined the terms “soft determinist” and “hard determinist” in an influential essay titled “The Dilemma of Determinism”. He argued against determinism, holding that the important issue is not personal responsibility, but hope.
How does Spinoza prove God?
Spinoza attempts to prove that God is
just the substance of the universe by first stating that substances do not share attributes or essences
, and then demonstrating that God is a “substance” with an infinite number of attributes, thus the attributes possessed by any other substances must also be possessed by God.
Why did Spinoza reject the Bible?
Spinoza was not the first writer of his century to question
the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch
. … In Spinoza's day to deny the Mosaic authorship was widely regarded as a dangerous heresy, one punishable by law, because it called into question the status of the Bible as a divinely inspired document.
What does Spinoza mean by self caused?
In Id1, Spinoza defines self-causation (causa sui) as “
that whose essence involves existence or [sive] that whose nature cannot be conceived except as existing
.” (Spinoza's sive should not be read in a disjunctive sense, nor is it usually stating a mere equivalence.
Do Pantheists believe in God?
Pantheism, the doctrine that
the universe conceived of as a whole is God
and, conversely, that there is no God but the combined substance, forces, and laws that are manifested in the existing universe.
What was the main goal of Spinoza's philosophy?
In other words, philosophy for Spinoza is like a spiritual practice, whose goal is
happiness and liberation
. The ethical orientation of Spinoza's thought is also reflected in his own nature and conduct.
What is Spinoza known for?
Among philosophers, Spinoza is best known for
his Ethics
, a monumental work that presents an ethical vision unfolding out of a monistic metaphysics in which God and Nature are identified. … On account of this and the many other provocative positions he advocates, Spinoza has remained an enormously controversial figure.
Did Hume believe in miracles?
Hume says we never have grounds to believe in miracles
. He's right, but many commentators misunderstand his theory of probability and therefore his argument.
What did Hume say about God?
In this section Hume emphasizes the point that God's being is
“so different, and so much superior”
to human nature that we are not able to form any clear or distinct idea of his nature and attributes, much less one based on our own qualities and characteristics.
What did Hume say about religion?
As such, Hume
rejects the truth of any revealed religion
, and further shows that, when corrupted with inappropriate passions, religion has harmful consequences to both morality and society. Further, he argues, rational arguments cannot lead us to a deity.
