Robert Kane

Focusing on the concepts and interactions of free will, moral responsibility, and determinism, this text represents the most up-to-date account of the four major positions in the free will debate. Four serious and well-known philosophers explore the opposing viewpoints of libertarianism, compatibilism, hard incompatibilism, and revisionismThe first half of the book contains each philosopher's explanation of his particular view; the second half allows them to directly respond to each other's arguments, in a lively and engaging conversationOffers the reader a one of a kind, interactive discussionForms part of the acclaimed Great Debates in Philosophy series

Accessible to students with no background in the subject, A Contemporary Introduction to Free Will provides an extensive and up-to-date overview of all the latest views on this central problem of philosophy. Opening with a concise introduction to the history of the problem of free will—and its place in the history of philosophy—the book then turns to contemporary debates and theories about free will, determinism, and related subjects like moral responsibility, coercion, compulsion, autonomy, agency, rationality, freedom, and more. Classical compatibilist and new compatibilist theories of free will are considered along with the latest incompatibilist or libertarian theories and the most recent skeptical challenges to free will. Separate chapters are devoted to the relation of free will to moral responsibility and ethics; to modern science; and to religious questions about predestination, divine foreknowledge, and human freedom. Numerous down-to-earth examples and challenging thought experiments enliven the text. The book is an ideal addition to introduction to philosophy, metaphysics, and free will courses.

This is a paperback reprint of a cloth edition published in 1996. Kane explores the significance of recent work about free will for contemporary concerns in ethics, politics, science, and religion, and also defends a "libertarian" conception of free will in a way that responds to contemporary scientific learning.

Kane offers a provocative and original account of the issues surrounding free will and moral responsibility. He presents a version of the "incompatibilist" or "libertarian" view of free will, defending the classic view of free will as "the power of agents to be the ultimate creators and sustainers of their own ends and purposes" against a wide range of modern critics. This book also serves as a comprehensive survey of recent controversies about free will, covering most of the debates of the past 25 years.

"On the ... issue of our pluralistic age -- whether we can continue to believe in absolute value -- Robert Kane has written the most helpful discussion I know. It is clear, cogent, and above all, convincing". -- Huston Smith, author of The World's Religions