Metaphilosophy and Free Will [Hardcover]

Richard Double (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195107624 | ISBN-13: 978-0195107623 | Publication Date: September 26, 1996

Why is debate over the free will problem so intractable? In this broad and stimulating look at the philosophical enterprise, Richard Double uses the free will controversy to build on the subjectivist conclusion he developed in The Non-Reality of Free Will (OUP 1991). Double argues that various views about free will--e.g., compatibilism, incompatibilism, and even subjectivism--are compelling if, and only if, we adopt supporting metaphilosophical views. Because metaphilosophical considerations are not provable, we cannot show any free will theory to be most reasonable. Metaphilosophy and Free Will deconstructs the free will problem and, by example, challenges philosophers in other areas to show how their philosophical argumentation can succeed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

[A] concise and startling treatment of free will."--Choice

"This work has all the virtues of Double's earlier book, The Non-Reality of Free Will. It is iconoclastic in the views defended and, as a consequence, highly provocative--yet at the same time very well-argued. It should be read widely and will provoke sharp reactions from philosophers and others in different fields."--Robert Kane, University of Texas at Austin

"The most innovative work on free will in the last decade. Double clearly and persuasively argues that, at root, the differing views on free will have their origins in distinct conceptions about the nature of philosophy itself. This work will energize discussion in this area. In elucidating assumptions that Compatibilists, Libertarians, and Hard Determinists hold, we discover that the relevant domain of argument revolves around questions of greater generality than previously acknowledged. With jargon-free, cogent argumentation, this work may well prove to be a watershed in the free will debate."--Mark Bernstein,University of Texas at San Antonio

"For those of us who have been simultaneously fascinated and frustrated by the twists and turns and dead ends in the long debate over free will, this is the road atlas we have longed for. Richard Double's Metaphilosophy and Free Will is not only a sure guide through the maze of arguments and positions; it also makes clear the connections and conflicts, and most importantly it makes plain the key hidden assumptions that have subtly shaped the debate. Metaphilosophy and Free Will argues cogently for a preferred route throughout the free will tangle, but even those who do not accept the overall conclusions will find this an enlightening tour.[cont. in next field]

[cont. from above] This is a book packed with insights, insights offered by a philosopher with thorough detailed knowledge of the contemporary free will debate, who combines that knowledge of detail with a profound grasp of the larger philosophical context in which that debate occurs. When struggling with the free will question, I have often had the sense of looking through a glass darkly; Richard Double's Metaphilosophy and Free Will brilliantly washes that philosophical window."--Bruce N. Waller, Youngstown State University

About the Author

Richard Double is at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 26, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195107624
• ISBN-13: 978-0195107623
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,841,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Determinist philosophers vs. freewillist moralists, March 28, 2002

By 

Michael Hoffman (Egodeath.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Metaphilosophy and Free Will (Hardcover)

Completely confirms what I observed in reading other books about free will and determinism: determinists are critical philosophical theorists who seek a clear and true description of the world, while freewill advocates are essentially moralists rather than theoretical philosophers.

This is the most insightful book about the debate because it explains the different kinds of motives driving determinists and freewillists.

Determinists, including the author, begin their thinking on a foundation of "What model of the world makes sense intellectually, logically, and rationally, and is comprehensible?"

Freewillists begin their thinking on a foundation of "My goal is to protect, preserve, and defend free will, to prevent the collapse of ethics and society".

The author defines four approaches or motives, but these two are the most basic: trying to scientifically model reality, or trying to protect, preserve, and prop up societal ethics.

My Amazon info area lists other interesting books about determinism, but this may be the only book of its kind, examining the motives of the debaters and showing how they enter the debate for two essentially different reasons.

I strongly recommend adding this book to your free will and determinism collection. It truly unlocks the other books and helps examine the author's motivating programme, mission, or agenda.