Final answer:
Second order desires refer to desires about one's initial desires, reflecting self-reflection and control. These become controversial within the thesis of determinism, which posits that every event, including desires, is caused.
Step-by-step explanation:
Second Order Desires and Determinism
Second order desires are preferences or desires about one's first order desires (the desires to perform or not perform certain actions). For example, if a person desires to quit smoking (first order desire), they might also have a second order desire that they didn’t want to smoke in the first place. This reflects a higher level of self-reflection and control over one's initial impulses or desires.
When considering causal determinism, which posits that every event has a cause and the thesis of determinism states that everything is caused, second order desires become complex. If all actions, including desires, are determined, the genuine deliberation of second order desires could appear to be an illusion. Under compatibilism, it is argued that even if behavior is caused and determined, behavior can still be considered free if not externally constrained. This posits that second order desires might still exhibit a sort of freedom within the constraints of determinism. However, this raises issues regarding the authenticity of free will.
The discussion of second order desires is pertinent in the debate on free will and determinism, especially in establishing the scope of human agency. This debate often revolves around whether our second order desires can truly be considered our own if they are likewise determined by past conditions or if they represent a kind of reflective endorsement of our will that allows for a meaningful concept of freedom.