Frankfurt argues that, in order to be considered a person,
an individual should not only have second-order desires in general
, but also specifically, desires to have certain desires to be his will.
What is a wanton according to Frankfurt?
A wanton, Frankfurt informs us, is someone whose “...
desires
.
move him to do certain things, without its being true of him either
that he. wants to be moved by those desires or that he prefers to be moved by other. desires.”2.
What is a person according to Harry Frankfurt?
From the PAP definition “
a person is morally responsible for what he has done only if he could have done otherwise
“, Frankfurt infers that a person is not morally responsible for what he has done if he could not have done otherwise – a point with which he takes issue: our theoretical ability to do otherwise, he says, ...
How are person different from wontons according to Frankfurt?
Frankfurt makes a further distinction. A wonton is
someone who is controlled by their 1st-order desires
. They make no attempt to exercise their (second-order) will. ... Wantons can be distinguished from persons not by the capacity to reason but by the (lack of) exercise of second-order volition.
What is freedom according to Frankfurt?
The difference between freedom of action and freedom of the will. Frankfurt on free will: ... More, precisely, it means that
he is free to will what he wants to will, or to have the will that he wants.
What is an effective desire?
Effective desires are
those in which man must have sufficient means to spend and there must be willingness in the man to spend
; while Ineffective wants are those which cannot be satisfied. For Example—To bring sun and moon in the room. Therefore, only effective desire are said to be want.
What does Frankfurt mean by the will?
will:
a first-order desire which is effective
, i.e. that causes one to do what one desires to do. A desire to eat a bag of potato chips is one’s will, in Frankfurt’s sense, if that desire brings one to actually eat the bag of potato chips.
What is the difference between a first order and second order desire according to Frankfurt?
A first order desire is a
desire for anything other than a desire
; a second order desire is a desire for a desire. ... But when a person does want the first order desire to be effective, when they want it to be their will, Frankfurt calls this a second order volition. Some creatures have no second order volitions.
What does Frankfurt mean by the will quizlet?
–
desire to do or not to
do one thing or another. -“A wants to X” second-order volitions. -when he wants certain desire to be his will. -THIS* is essential to being a person.
What is a second order volition example?
Second-order volition are desires about desires, or to desire to change the process, the how, of desiring. Examples would be
desires to want to own a new car; to want to meet the pope;
or to want to quit drinking alcohol permanently. A higher-order volition can go unfulfilled due to uncontrolled lower-order volitions.
Why according to Frankfurt is the principle of alternate possibilities mistaken?
Frankfurt denies that the principle of alternate possibilities implies
that moral responsibility is incompatible with determinism
. ... For Frankfurt, coercion is a clear example in which the principle of alternate possibilities kicks in.
Do humans have freedom?
On one hand,
humans have a strong sense of freedom
, which leads them to believe that they have free will. ... Modern compatibilists make a distinction between freedom of will and freedom of action, that is, separating freedom of choice from the freedom to enact it.
Is determinism a theory?
Determinism, in philosophy,
theory that all events, including moral choices, are completely determined by previously existing causes
. The theory holds that the universe is utterly rational because complete knowledge of any given situation assures that unerring knowledge of its future is also possible. ...
What does Frankfurt believe about free will?
He is known as a Traditional Compati- bilist because he believes that people have free
will only if they are not forced and their actions have been “willed” by them alone
.
What is an effective first order desire?
First-Order Desires: desires to perform actions.
The will
= a first-order desire effective in action (a motivationally efficacious desire). Second-Order Desires: desires about first-order desires. Second-Order Desires simpliciter: desires to have certain first-order desires without their constituting one’s will.
What is the problem with compatibilism?
There are some major difficulties in compatibilism, which I think damage it irreparably. Take Hobbes’ claim, largely accepted by Hume, that
freedom is to act at will while coercion is to be compelled to act by others
. This does not give us a sure reason to choose this ‘freedom’.
