The hottest Free will Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Philosophy Topics

The New York Times Memorializes Daniel Dennett Without Reading Him

Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis • 419 implied HN points • 28 Apr 24
📖 Philosophy Free will Consciousness Compatibilism Obituary Critique
  1. Compatibilism argues that even in a deterministic universe, humans can still have free will.
  2. In the debate about free will, one needs to consider which aspects of 'free will' are crucial for concepts like moral responsibility.
  3. Criticism of Daniel Dennett highlights the importance of understanding a philosopher's actual positions before critiquing them.

A Logical Case For Throwing the Fear Out

Tessa Fights Robots • 38 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Destiny Spirituality Beliefs Free will Self-discovery
  1. Courage is innate, and the key is to find and use it, reminding ourselves that we are not accidents or victims, but capable of overcoming challenges and making the world more beautiful.
  2. Reflecting on the contrast between empowering beliefs and institutional views can help us understand the impact of framing human potential negatively.
  3. Facing pain can lead to uncovering our gifts and transforming it into love, as we remember our worth and spiritual validity, ultimately diminishing the power of fear.

Arguing with Slavoj Zizek About Free Will and Physics

Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis • 179 implied HN points • 10 Dec 23
📖 Philosophy Free will Compatibilism Moral responsibility
  1. The post discusses a debate with Slavoj Zizek about free will, compatibilism, and incompatibilism, as well as the role of microphysics in free will and moral responsibility.
  2. The author mentions a chat about the essay on the This is Revolution podcast with Stefan Bertram-Lee, happening at 4 PM East Coast time.
  3. The post is for paid subscribers only, with an option to subscribe and access the content.
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Hume in Hell (UNLOCKED)

Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis • 758 implied HN points • 01 Jan 23
📖 Philosophy History Religion Ethics Morality Free will
  1. David Hume's essays on suicide and the afterlife delve into questioning common beliefs even when granting believers' core premises.
  2. Hume challenges the concept of suicide as a sin against God, arguing that humans cannot disrupt God's plan or transgress against it through suicide.
  3. The essays lead to a broader reflection that morality should be grounded in human considerations, not divine commands, opening up a secular perspective in philosophy.

Personhood, Justice, and Free Will: Wrapping Up the Debate with Eric Levitz

Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis • 159 implied HN points • 15 Oct 23
📖 Philosophy Justice Free will
  1. The debate on free will and criminal punishment is being wrapped up by Ben Burgis and Eric Levitz.
  2. Eric Levitz argues that there is a meaningful sense in which conscious subjects do not have full agency over their actions.
  3. The post discusses how desires, thoughts, and decision processes influence our sense of agency and free will.

Sam Harris Has Nothing Useful to Say About Free Will (UNLOCKED)

Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis • 619 implied HN points • 05 Feb 23
📖 Philosophy Free will Compatibilism Determinism Morality Responsibility
  1. Sam Harris argues that free will doesn't exist because our decisions are influenced by factors we don't fully understand or control.
  2. The debate over free will involves complex questions about determinism, moral responsibility, and cognitive capacities.
  3. Compatibilist philosophers like John Martin Fischer redefine free will in terms of being reasons-responsive, rather than just the ability to act differently given the same circumstances.

Death smiles at us all

Becoming Noble • 378 implied HN points • 22 Mar 23
📖 Philosophy Time Existence Fear Free will God
  1. Time is an alien force that impacts all of us, and we must learn to embrace it.
  2. Existence in time means every decision becomes permanent, leading into an unknowable future.
  3. Despite the fear of time and God's eternal view of our actions, individual agency is crucial, and we have a limited window to act.

Harry Frankfurt (1929-2023): A Tribute (UNLOCKED)

Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis • 219 implied HN points • 06 Aug 23
📖 Philosophy Free will Moral responsibility Determinism Compatibilism
  1. Harry Frankfurt's work had a significant impact on the philosophical debate on free will and moral responsibility.
  2. Frankfurt's argument challenges the Principle of Alternate Possibilities in determining moral responsibility, leading to a new understanding of free will.
  3. His work on free will and moral responsibility has sparked decades of discussion, reshaping philosophical perspectives and raising important questions about human agency.

The Case for Embracing A "Choose Your Own Adventure" Philosophy

America 2.0 (by Gary Sheng) • 235 implied HN points • 28 May 23
📖 Philosophy Peace Individuality Diversity Free will Consciousness
  1. Embracing a 'choose your own adventure' philosophy promotes acknowledging and appreciating differences.
  2. Allowing people to choose their own paths leads to self-organization without the need for central planning.
  3. Celebrating diverse ways of living can create a more peaceful and flourishing future.

How to Be a Leftist Without Being a Utilitarian or a Free Will Skeptic (UNLOCKED)

Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis • 259 implied HN points • 02 Apr 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics Free will Justice Meritocracy Utilitarianism
  1. Rejecting free will or embracing utilitarianism is like burning down your house to kill a fly.
  2. Meritocracy doesn't justify extreme inequality; our society isn't a true meritocracy.
  3. Belief in moral rights maintains dignity and autonomy and challenges market-worshippers for a fairer society.

Slavoj Zizek and the Case for Compatibilism (UNLOCKED)

Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis • 299 implied HN points • 19 Feb 23
📖 Philosophy Free will Compatibilism Determinism Moral responsibility
  1. Compatibilism can feel contradictory at first, but it offers a way to reconcile deep intuitions about control and responsibility with determinism.
  2. The debate around free will and determinism involves conflicting intuitions about moral responsibility, cosmic freedom, and the control condition for responsibility.
  3. The definition of free will can shift from a day-to-day understanding to a radical, cosmic sense when framed within the context of determinism, highlighting the complexity of philosophical concepts.

The Zombies Within

Don't Save Anything • 196 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Free will Video Games
  1. The post is about alpha males, free will, and The Last of Us.
  2. The author, Neil Shea, shared a new list of reading, watching, and listening suggestions in the post.
  3. To keep reading the full post, a 7-day free trial is available for new subscribers.

Tim Pool, Sam Seder, and Thanos: Is Lesser-Evil Voting Like Pushing People Onto Trolley Tracks? (UNLOCKED)

Philosophy for the People w/Ben Burgis • 239 implied HN points • 26 Mar 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics Consequentialism Free will Justice
  1. Tim Pool's comparison of lesser-evil voting to the Trolley Problem and Thanos lacked depth and accuracy in understanding consequentialism and deontology.
  2. It's important to consider moral complexities beyond simple consequentialism when debating electoral strategies like third-party voting versus lesser-evil voting.
  3. The debate between deontology and consequentialism in voting ethics can lead to deeper discussions on philosophical principles and their application in political decision-making.

Is Retribution Illegitimate?

Gideon's Substack • 38 implied HN points • 14 Sep 23
📖 Philosophy Justice Ethics Free will Authority
  1. Retribution as a basis for a justice system is considered illegitimate by some, who argue that justice systems should focus on reducing harm, not retribution.
  2. Punishment should be justified on pragmatic grounds, such as minimizing harm and preventing future harm, rather than retribution for its own sake.
  3. Retributive justice can be seen as a form of restorative justice, aiming to heal societal breaches caused by crimes, but may need to balance with considerations of rehabilitation and societal impact.

Nonsense, Irrelevance, and Invalidity

Ethics Under Construction • 5 HN points • 29 Oct 23
📖 Philosophy Knowledge Free will Morality Ethics Logic
  1. Certain philosophical statements can be nonsense, like the liar's paradox, lacking basic truth-value and conveying no information.
  2. Statements can also be irrelevant, failing to provide any useful information, like stating obvious facts or redundant phrases.
  3. Logical gaps, like the is-ought gap, show that certain ideas are invalid and should be disregarded as meaningless.

Liberté

Neosapien’s Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 23 Apr 23
📖 Philosophy Free will Liberty
  1. Perception plays a crucial role in how we experience circumstances.
  2. Choosing to ignore external factors can lead to a sense of freedom.
  3. The struggle between our constructed self and natural instincts is a common human dilemma.