Free Will: A Contemporary Introduction

As an advanced introduction to the challenging topic of free will, this book is designed for upper-level undergraduates interested in a comprehensive first-stop into the field’s issues and debates. It is written by two of the leading participants in those debates—a compatibilist on the issue of free will and determinism (Michael McKenna) and an incompatibilist (Derk Pereboom). These two authors achieve an admirable objectivity and clarity while still illuminating the field’s complexity and key advances. Each chapter is structured to work as one week’s primary reading in a course on free will, while more advanced courses can dip into the annotated further readings, suggested at the end of each chapter. A comprehensive bibliography as well as detailed subject and author indexes are included at the back of the book.

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1: Free Will, Moral Responsibility, & Determinism

Chapter 2: The Free Will Problem

Chapter 3: Classical Compatibilism & Classical Incompatibilism

Chapter 4: The Debate over the Consequence Argument

Chapter 5: Alternative Possibilities and Frankfurt Cases Chapter 6: Strawsonian Compatibilism

Chapter 7: Recent Developments: Source Incompatibilism & the Compatibilists’ Burden

Chapter 8: Contemporary Compatibilism: Seven Recent Views

Chapter 9: Contemporary Compatibilism: Mesh, Reasons-responsive & Leeway Theories

Chapter 10: Contemporary Incompatibilism: Libertarianism

Chapter 11: Contemporary Incompatibilism: Free Will Skepticism

Chapter 12: Revisionism and Some Remaining Issues

Bibliography