Question

According to David Hume, what is the source of the controversy surrounding free will?

Answer 1

David Hume's philosophy identifies the controversy surrounding free will as the conflict between deterministic causality and the human experience of moral responsibility and choice.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to David Hume, the source of the controversy surrounding free will lies in the tension between determinism and the feeling of moral responsibility. Hume suggests that our actions appear to be a result of the laws of nature, much like the falling of a book subjected to gravity, thereby supporting a deterministic view. However, we also experience a sense of choice and moral responsibility that implies some form of freedom. The controversy, therefore, arises from the attempt to reconcile determinism with our experience and capacity for choice. In summary, the dilemma can be characterized by the interplay between causality, moral responsibility, and the empirical basis of knowledge, which is central to Hume's philosophy.

Answer 2

It is widely accepted that David Hume’s contribution to the free will debate is one of the most influential statements of the “compatibilist” position, where this is understood as the view that human freedom and moral responsibility can be reconciled with (causal) determinism. Hume’s arguments on this subject are found primarily in the sections titled “Of liberty and necessity”, as first presented in A Treatise of Human Nature (2.3.1–2) and, later, in a slightly amended form, in the Enquiry concerning Human Understanding (sec. 8). Although both contributions share the same title, there are, nevertheless, some significant differences between them. This includes, for example, some substantial additions in the Enquiry discussion as it relates to problems of religion, such as predestination and divine foreknowledge. These differences should not, however, be exaggerated. Hume’s basic strategy and compatibilist commitments remain much the same in both works.