Skip to content
Carmelics
Topics
Thinkers
Changes
Contributors
Loading account…
Statements
321,452
Perspectives
108,905
Topics
42
Home
/
Original
/
inverse
See Original
Inverse View
It is not the case that The Humean approach to laws of nature does not by itself resolve the problem of determinism and human freedom.
?
Set your confidence on the premises below to see your aggregate.
Reasons For
2 perspectives
Reason for 1 of 2
?
1.
On Humean supervenience (Lewis), laws are mere regularities with no governing force, so 'determinism' reduces to patterns of events rather than necessitation.
?
How convincing is this?
Think about whether this reason is strong or weak
2.
If determinism loses its modal force under Humeanism, the traditional incompatibilist threat—that laws compel agents—dissolves without requiring independent resolution.
?
How convincing is this?
Think about whether this reason is strong or weak
3.
Compatibilists like Lewis explicitly leverage Humean laws to reframe freedom as pattern-consistency, showing the account directly shapes, not bypasses, the free will debate.
?
How convincing is this?
Think about whether this reason is strong or weak
Reason for 2 of 2
?
1.
Ramsey and Lewis's Best Systems Account entails that laws supervene on the Humean mosaic, making the agent's history partly constitutive of the very laws that allegedly constrain them.
?
How convincing is this?
Think about whether this reason is strong or weak
2.
If agents are partially constitutive of the laws governing them, the asymmetry between 'law' and 'agent' presupposed by classical incompatibilist arguments is undermined from within Humeanism itself.
?
How convincing is this?
Think about whether this reason is strong or weak
Reasons Against
1 perspective
Reason against
?
1.
Humean views deny laws most of their pushiness and explanatory force.
?
How convincing is this?
Think about whether this reason is strong or weak
2.
On such views, questions about determinism and human freedom must be approached afresh rather than being dissolved by the Humean account of laws.
?
How convincing is this?
Think about whether this reason is strong or weak
Next step
Based on where you are in your exploration
Strongest counterpoint
Explore the most compelling reason on the other side.