Doing without Free Will: Spinoza and Contemporary Moral Problems

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Book Description

Doing without Free Will: Spinoza and Contemporary Moral Problems is a PDF book that introduces Spinoza into the contemporary conversation on ethical problems and the free will that surrounds this conversation. Old Western ethical philosophy has been developed, for the most half, on the notion of free will, which can be defined as a certain human aptitude to liberally select activities without being determined in that option. This line of thinking is coming under increasing scrutiny, which is being spurred primarily by the ever-evolving discoveries made in the field of neuroscience. But without the concept of free will, how can we formulate an ethical philosophy?

When Spinoza was writing his Ethics during the development of modern science and its deterministic model of nature, he ran into a similar difficulty, and as a result, he has a lot to contribute to the discussion that is going on right now. Not only does he provide a foundation for understanding ethical accountability without free will, but he also gives an evidence and solution to the traditional problem of akrasia. This is particularly the case due to the fact that he believes the desire is not free. He devised an entirely new method of ethical philosophy that has the potential to assist in resolving the meta-moral conundrum between relativism and absolutism by demonstrating how ethical principles emerge spontaneously within a society.

Spinoza constructed a powerful concept of freedom despite the fact that he denied the conventional God-like energy of “free will.” This freedom is one that is plainly human and possible in the current day. His modernism is brought to light when we examine his answers to the frequently asked issues of whether or not it is feasible and even interesting to create objective attitudes towards our fellow humans as an alternative to reactive ones. His answers, which may come as a surprise to some, resemble positions that are held by certain contemporary philosophers.

Review

This is the e-book that we have all been waiting for, and it was written by Christopher Kluz and Ursula Goldenbaum. It's called “Doing without Free Will: Spinoza and Contemporary Moral Problems.” In the end, Spinoza's distinctive contribution of a conception of the objective of human life as freedom without a free will has been regained as the tertium quid and inserted into the stalemated up to date philosophical debate between the two main strains of latterday Humeans and Kantians. This debate centers on the question of whether or not humans have the ability to exercise free will. Kudos to Kluz and Goldenbaum for taking the initiative to lead this important project and for bringing together major experts to rethink Spinoza's notion of ethical business in terms of the contemporary Anglo-American philosophical conversation. This is an excellent book that makes a welcome contribution to both the field of Spinoza studies and the ongoing philosophical discussion over free will and determinism. — Heidi Ravven; Hamilton College

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