Every day we seem to make and act upon all kinds of free choices - some of them trivial, and some so consequential that they may change the course of our life, or even the course of history. But are these choices really free? Or are we compelled to act the way we do by factors beyond our control? Is the feeling that we could have made different decisions just an illusion? And if our choices are not free, why should we be held morally responsible for our actions? This Very Short Introduction, written by a leading authority on the subject, looks at a range of issues surrounding this fundamental philosophical question, exploring it from the ideas of the Greek and medieval philosophers through to the thoughts of present-day thinkers. It provides a interesting and incisive introduction to this perennially fascinating subject.

Table of Contents

1. The free will problem; 2. Freedom as free will; 3. Compatibilism and reason; 4. Compatibilism and nature; 5. Morality without freedom?; 6. Libertarianism and scepticism; 7. Self-determination and the will; 8. Freedom and its place in nature