Write a paper of approximately 1800 words on one of the prompts below.
In “Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person,” Harry Frankfurt lays out a conception of personhood. In “Free Agency,” Gary Watson identifies what he takes to be a problem internal to Frankfurt’s view, and then proposes his own view. Explain this debate as clearly as you can. What is Frankfurt trying to account for in offering his theory of personhood? What problem does Watson identify with Frankfurt’s view? What is Watson’s own view? Who do you think makes the better argument and why?
In “How Is Weakness of Will Possible?” Donald Davidson argues that it is difficult to explain how weakness of will (“incontinence”) is possible, given two prior assumptions. In “Skepticism about Weakness of Will,” Gary Watson criticizes the way Davidson sets up the problem. Explain this debate as clearly as you can. Who do you think has the stronger position and why? (Note: to address this prompt, you do not have to explain Davidson’s positive account of incontinence, or Watson’s brief criticisms of that positive account. Instead focus on their disagreement over the assumptions that Davidson starts from.)
Gary Watson (in “Skepticism about Weakness of Will”) and Tamar Schapiro (in “What Makes Weak-Willed Action Weak?”) both argue that we need to give an account of weak-willed action that shows how it is both weak and free (not compelled). Pick one of these authors and discuss their approach to this problem in detail. Does that theory succeed? You are encouraged to bring in the other author as needed for comparison or contrast, but you only need to give a detailed exposition of one of the views.
Format
Word (not PDF); 12-point font; either 1.5 or 2 spacing.
Guidelines
Again, use both direct quote and paraphrase. Here is a helpful guide: Academic Integrity at MIT: A Handbook for Students.
This assignment is due during Session 23.
