Routledge Free Will: An Historical and Philosophical Introduction

What is the place of human free will in our lives if all our actions are the result of some other cause? Does our processing unconscious beliefs or desires make us less free? Is our free will necessarily restricted if we do not choose our own beliefs? The debate between free will and its opposing doctrine, determinism, is one of the key issues in philosophy. Free Will: An historical and philosophical introduction provides a comprehensive introduction to this highly important question and examines the contributions made by sixteen of the most outstanding thinkers from the time of early Greece to the twentieth century: *Homer *Sophocles *Platto *Aristotle *St Augustine *St Thomas Aquinas *Descaartes *Spinoza *Hume *Kant *Schopehauer *Freud *Sartre *Weil *Wittgenstein *Moore Ilham Dilman brings together all the dimensions of the problem of free will with examples from literature, ethics and psychoanalysis. Drawing out valuable insights from both sides of the free will-determinism divide, and he provides an accessible and highly readable introduction to this perennial problem. Review 'This is a very thorough, very scholarly book, which as such has been and will be much and rightly commended.' Anthony Flew, Philosophical Investigations 'The beauty of the book lies in its combination of historical sweep and analytical rigour. ... Essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the free will issue.' - Network 'A most illuminating historical and philosophical introduction to the free will issue.' - Network 'useful and thought-provoking book' - Heythrop Journal About the Author Ilman Dilman is professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Wales, Swansea. He is the author of numerous works of epistemology, philosophical psychology, aesthetics and existentialism.