Vital Homework except for those named Jake and wearing stripy pullovers

Free Will & Determinism

1. Why do neither theories of ‘randomness’ or quantum physics support the libertarian case for human beings as self-determining  / autonomous agents?
2. How does Cartesian dualism account for free will? And how does Gilbert Ryle’s notion of ‘the ghost in the machine’ attack Descartes’ claim? 
3. Explain Sartre’s idea of ‘the gap’ - what it is and how it allows for free will. 
4. Why might it be true to say that Sartre’s emphasis is on the future?
5. Why does Patricia Churchland attack libertarian attempt to find ‘causal vacuums’ as ‘flat earth’ philosophy? 

Also I've put a lot of stuff on here recently that I think will help you get some of these ideas straight. Please read it. Above all you must listen to theses podcasts:
Thomas Pink on Free will at  http://cdn1.libsyn.com/philosophybites/PinkMixSes.mp3?nvb=20090516103152&nva=20090517104152&t=05fb3f41be06ea130b9b1


and David Papineau on Physicalism at  http://www.philosophybites.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=242858

Pink & the Animals

You must read the blog on Pink below and the article Thomas Pink on The ethics of humanity and its enemies – the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill before you read this.

The main point of Pink's article (certainly the one we might talk about in the exam) is that; 'given the almost universal academic scepticism about our possession of an actual ability or freedom to determine for ourselves' there is a danger that the ideas promoted by science and many philosophers, about what a human being is and the rights they have, will be redefined in a way that, for Pink, is threatening and dangerous.

His point is that if we come to see human beings as not having free will, as not being autonomous, not having any control over the course of their lives, then their worth, their 'value' seems to be less. Pink fears that this will mean that the vulnerable, the less able, the less skilled, the less productive, will be treated badly.

He also fears that this view of humanity as just another 'animal', just another lump of physical stuff, will encourage what he sees as dangerous genetic experiments.

This is another example of how philosophy and science have huge political implications.

You must read the article to get this. Here's another link to it on my website http://www.mrbrodie.com/Philosophy/Resources,_Essays_%26_Links.html