Determinism vs. Free Will: Philosophical Perspectives
( 30 Modules )
Module #1 Introduction to the Debate Overview of the determinism vs. free will debate, importance of the issue, and key concepts.
Module #2 Determinism:Historical Background Exploration of the historical roots of determinism, including ancient Greek philosophers and modern scientific influences.
Module #3 The Case for Determinism Presentation of arguments in favor of determinism, including the role of causality, necessity, and predictability.
Module #4 Causal Determinism In-depth examination of causal determinism, including the concept of a causal chain and its implications for human action.
Module #5 Physical Determinism Exploration of physical determinism, including the role of physical laws and the concept of a predetermined universe.
Module #6 Biological Determinism Investigation of biological determinism, including the influence of genetics, neuroscience, and evolutionary theory on human behavior.
Module #7 The Challenge of Randomness and Indeterminacy Discussion of the implications of randomness and indeterminacy in the natural world for the determinism vs. free will debate.
Module #8 The Case for Free Will Presentation of arguments in favor of free will, including the role of moral responsibility, personal autonomy, and intentional action.
Module #9 Libertarianism and the Concept of Free Will Examination of libertarianism, including the idea of agent causation and the importance of contracausal free will.
Module #10 Compatibilism and the Compatibility of Free Will and Determinism Investigation of compatibilism, including the arguments of Hobbes, Hume, and contemporary philosophers.
Module #11 Soft Determinism and the Middle Ground Exploration of soft determinism, including the idea of a compatibilist approach that incorporates elements of determinism.
Module #12 The Implications of Neuroscience and Psychology Discussion of the implications of recent findings in neuroscience and psychology for our understanding of free will and moral responsibility.
Module #13 The Problem of Moral Responsibility Examination of the relationship between moral responsibility and the determinism vs. free will debate, including the concept of blameworthiness.
Module #14 The Compatibility of Free Will and Moral Responsibility Investigation of the compatibility of free will and moral responsibility, including the idea of desert-based moral responsibility.
Module #15 The Implications of Responsibility for Blame and Punishment Discussion of the implications of different approaches to moral responsibility for our understanding of blame and punishment.
Module #16 Free Will and Moral Agency Examination of the relationship between free will and moral agency, including the concept of moral character and the importance of autonomy.
Module #17 The Implications of Determinism for Ethics and Morality Investigation of the implications of determinism for ethics and morality, including the concept of moral nihilism.
Module #18 The Implications of Free Will for Ethics and Morality Discussion of the implications of free will for ethics and morality, including the concept of moral realism.
Module #19 Alternative Approaches:Hard Incompatibilism and Eliminativism Examination of alternative approaches to the determinism vs. free will debate, including hard incompatibilism and eliminativism.
Module #20 The Implications of the Debate for Human Action and Decision-Making Discussion of the implications of the determinism vs. free will debate for our understanding of human action and decision-making.
Module #21 The Implications of the Debate for Personal Identity and Selfhood Investigation of the implications of the determinism vs. free will debate for our understanding of personal identity and selfhood.
Module #22 The Implications of the Debate for Social and Political Systems Examination of the implications of the determinism vs. free will debate for social and political systems, including the concept of social justice.
Module #23 The Debate in Contemporary Context:Science, Technology, and Society Discussion of the implications of the determinism vs. free will debate in the context of contemporary science, technology, and society.
Module #24 The Future of the Debate:Directions for Research and Inquiry Investigation of the future directions of the determinism vs. free will debate, including areas for further research and inquiry.
Module #25 Conclusion:The Ongoing Significance of the Debate Conclusion of the course, highlighting the ongoing significance of the determinism vs. free will debate for philosophy, science, and everyday life.
Module #26 Additional Readings and Resources Supplementary materials for further exploration, including readings, articles, and online resources.
Module #27 Glossary of Key Terms Comprehensive glossary of key terms and concepts from the determinism vs. free will debate.
Module #28 Timeline of Key Figures and Events Chronological timeline of key figures, events, and developments in the determinism vs. free will debate.
Module #29 Debate Forum:Share Your Thoughts and Engage with Peers Online discussion forum for students to share their thoughts, engage with peers, and continue the debate.
Module #30 Course Wrap-Up & Conclusion Planning next steps in Determinism vs. Free Will: Philosophical Perspectives career
