The Existence of "free will" (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2022 in the subject Philosophy - Theoretical (Realisation, Science, Logic, Language), grade: 1,7, University of Cologne, language: English, abstract: Whether Free will exists or not, is a question, that has been explored and discussed many times in philosophy. Figuring out what exactly free will is, what it involves, and if it actually exists, is not a matter where common ground is easily found, or ever found. Everyone has at least once asked themselves whether their lives are simply a chain of causal events, whether we truly have a power on freely deciding whether or not we perform an action, or if our lives are controlled by a power that is out of human control, such as God or even fate. An important distinction that has to be made when talking about free will, is also the notion of free action. Can we assume that all "free actions" are the result of our free will?

The goal I am aiming for in this paper, is to show the different perspectives on free will, and how they are not fully convincing. Does free will exist, and if so, what are the requirements for acting freely? The most prominent philosophical perspectives on this topic are determinism, libertarianism, and compatibilism, which I will be critically analyzing, while showing the challenges they are facing. As I mentioned already, the discussion about free will and everything else it involves, gives rise to controversy and disagreement. However, what I aim in achieving, is a clear understanding of the problematic of determinism, libertarianism, and compatibilism, while also involving the notion of luck, which seems to be forgotten by many philosophers, although it plays an important role in the matter.