Doing without Free Will: Spinoza and Contemporary Moral Problems – PDF

Doing without Free Will: Spinoza and Contemporary Moral Problems (PDF format) focuses on Spinoza’s contribution to the debate surrounding free will and moral problems. Throughout Western history, the concept of free will has been a fundamental assumption in moral philosophy – the idea that humans have the capacity to choose actions without being predetermined. However, recent developments in neuroscience and the deterministic model of nature have challenged this idea, leading to a critique of free will. This poses a significant challenge to the development of moral philosophy and raises important questions about moral responsibility.

Spinoza addresses this challenge in his influential work, Ethics, where he presents a new system of moral philosophy that explains how moral responsibility can be understood without free will. He also proposes a solution to the classical problem of akrasia, which is the human ability to act against one’s better judgment. By denying the traditional concept of God-like power associated with free will, Spinoza proposes a strong concept of human freedom that is still relevant today.

This eBook explores Spinoza’s philosophy and its relevance to contemporary moral issues. The authors argue that Spinoza’s approach offers a solution to the meta-ethical dilemma between relativism and absolutism, and shows how moral values can develop naturally within society. They also discuss Spinoza’s ideas on building objective attitudes towards other human beings, which are similar to some contemporary philosophical positions.

In summary, this eBook provides an in-depth guide to Spinoza’s philosophy and its application to contemporary moral problems. It is an essential resource for students and scholars of philosophy, as well as anyone interested in the ongoing debate surrounding free will and moral responsibility.

Review

Christopher Kluz and Ursula Goldenbaum’s Doing without Free Will: Spinoza and Contemporary Moral Problems is an outstanding eBook that sheds light on the contemporary philosophical debate surrounding free will. The authors have done an excellent job of bringing together key contributors to reinterpret Spinoza’s understanding of moral agency in the context of modern philosophy. This eBook is a much-needed contribution to Spinoza studies and to the ongoing philosophical debate about free will and determinism. — Heidi Ravven, Hamilton College

NOTE: This product only includes the eBook Doing without Free Will: Spinoza and Contemporary Moral Problems in PDF. No access codes are included.