The Free Will Show Episode 51: Flickers of Freedom with Bradford Stockdale
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Jan 23, 2023 Dive into the intriguing concept of the 'flicker of freedom' strategy as we dissect classic Frankfurt cases. Explore the journey of philosophical inquiry sparked by pop culture, particularly The Matrix. Challenge your understanding of moral responsibility through the Principle of Alternative Possibilities. Navigate the fine line between determinism and personal agency, questioning the nature of autonomy. Finally, examine how moral freedom can exist even in deterministic scenarios, shedding light on deep philosophical debates.
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Origin Story: The Matrix Spark
- Bradford Stockdale first became interested in free will after watching The Matrix as a teenager and wondering how foreknowledge could coexist with freedom.
- He pursued the topic through undergraduate research, reading Strawson and Frankfurt, which shaped his ongoing work on responsibility.
PAP Shapes The Free Will Landscape
- PAP (Principle of Alternative Possibilities) links the ability to do otherwise to moral responsibility and underpins debates about compatibilism versus incompatibilism.
- Whether PAP is true affects not only compatibilism but also the source vs. leeway compatibilist distinction.
Frankfurt Cases Challenge PAP
- Frankfurt cases aim to show an agent can be responsible even when they couldn't have done otherwise by introducing a non-actual intervener.
- These cases challenge PAP by isolating scenarios where external backup exists but never influences the actual decision.