Free Will and Determinism: A Pragmatic View | William James Pragmatism Lecture 3

The discussion between free will and determinism is one that has raged on throughout the history of philosophy. It would be probably impossible to fully encapsulate the debates had on these ideas through just one video. This video therefore focuses on just one perspective, a perspective from the philosophy of pragmatism by William James.

James starts by acknowledging the practical consequences of free will and determinism in terms of accountability. Determinism might seem to interfere with praise or blame, while free will would empower those acts. James then moves on to viewing these ideas in relation to human history. James concludes free will to be a philosophy of promise and improvement since we wouldn’t be at the determinist mercy of history.
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