Frankfurt The Principle Of Alternative Possibilities (...

Zhiyuan Li Philosophy 3000 Frankfurt Without Counter-Examples: An Alternative Possibility Harry Frankfurt (1969) argues that the principle of alternative possibilities (PAP): (PAP) a person is morally responsible for what he has done only if he could have done otherwise (829) is false, because there are cases where a person is morally responsible for what she has done even if she could not have done otherwise (835-6). Call such cases Frankfurt-style cases. A lot of literature thereafter has been targeted on these Frankfurt-style cases, particularly whether it’s really possible to construct them. Among critics of Frankfurt, David Widerker (2003) takes one step further and he grants, for the sake of his argument, that it is possible to construct Frankfurt-style cases ; however, he argues that even so, Frankfurt’s argument still fails because there are counter-examples to Frankfurt-style cases, which are in favor of PAP (60-2). This paper is a defense of Frankfurt. Having said that, however, I think Widerker has developed a very strong criticism of Frankfurt which in some sense takes away his prima facie intuition. Therefore, it seems to me not enough for defenders of Frankfurt to respond by just refuting the counter-examples Widerker provides against Frankfurt-style cases – they must somehow bring their intuition back. This is exactly what I want to pursue in this paper. I will argue that Frankfurt’s argument may be reconstructed in an alternative way, which does not dependShow MoreRelatedThe Principle Of Alternate Possibilities1210 Words   |  5 Pagesshe could have done otherwise. This is the Principle of Alternate Possibilities (PAP). For any person and any action, that person is morally responsible for performing or failing to perform that action if and only if she had a genuine alternate possibility open to her at the time. An alternate possibility is simply another option that an agen t has at the time that he or she acts. This principle may hold in part because of the Ought Implies Can principle, which states that a subject ought to do somethingRead MoreThe Importance Of Moral Responsibility For Something We Do1427 Words   |  6 PagesIn this essay I will argue that moral responsibility for something we do does require that we have alternate possibilities in some sense. I will explore the criticisms of this from Frankfurt, with the suggestion that Frankfurt cases are not as damaging as they seem. Finally, I will attempt to show that it is philosophically safer to adopt Otsuka’s slight revision of alternate possibilities. It has long been taken for granted that for an agent to have moral responsibility for an action, they mustRead MoreMoral Responsibility and Harry Frankfurt1286 Words   |  5 Pagesdeterminism is true or false. Harry Frankfurt thinks even though the requirement of alternative possibilities in order to be held morally responsible for our actions seems intuitively plausible, it is a questionable premise in the argument provided by incompatibilists. Frankfurt calls the premise that â€Å"a person is morally responsible for what he has done only if he could have done otherwise† the principle of alternative possibilities or PAP (Frankfurt, 829). He argues that PAP is false and a person can beRead MoreReflection Paper On Frankfurt, Despite Appearances Essay1122 Words   |  5 PagesI will begin, as Frankfurt does, by defining what he means by PAP (principle of alternate possibilities): â€Å"a person is morally responsible for what he has done only if he could have done otherw ise† (167). In this paper, I will argue that Frankfurt, despite appearances, does not employ a counterexample in his refutation of PAP. To illustrate how he fails to do so, I will first review how counterexamples operate. Next, I will explore the basis of Frankfurt’s argument in the context of the Jones4Read MoreDavid Hume : Free Will And Determinism1261 Words   |  6 Pagesin his essay â€Å"Of Liberty and Necessity† that free will and determinism are compatible ideas, and that they can both be accepted at the same time without being logically incorrect. Alike Hume, 20th century author Harry G. Frankfurt concludes in his essay â€Å"Alternate Possibilities and Moral Responsibility† that the two major concepts are compatible. These two authors are among the most famous of Compatibilists (hence the fact that they believe free will and determinism are compatible ideas) in philosophicalRead MoreThe Metaphysical Issue Of Free Will1368 Words   |  6 Pag esthen are we responsible for them? The importance of free will then is made more salient when the concept of moral responsibility is introduced. These moral obligations can reflect on how we blame, praise or judge certain courses of action. Harry Frankfurt debates the issue concerning moral responsibility without the presence of free will. However, his hypothetical demonstration cannot exist, therefore his account does not adequately address the problem with free will. The metaphysical issue is inRead MoreThe Dilemma Of Moral Responsibility From A Universe With Causal Law And Freedom1590 Words   |  7 PagesFrankfurt distinguishes between acting freely and having a free will. Are both of these compatible with determinism? How does our freedom relate to causation? In this essay, I will initially address an incompatibilist approach towards free will and decipher why it is illogical and contradictory. In turn, I will address why Frankfurt’s definitions regarding freedom of action and free will is more appropriate and evaluate why they are both synonymously compatible with determinism. Following on fromRead MoreProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 PagesAutomotive bought out another tier-one supplier, Pelex Automotive Products (PAP). PAP also had a good project management reputation and also provided quality products. Many of its products were similar to those provided by Lakes Automotive. Because the employees from both companies would be working together closely, a singular project management methodology would be required that would be acceptable to both companies. PAP had a good methodology based on five life-cycle phases. Both methodologies had