Discuss Dennett's insight that whenever philosophers or laypeople worry about whether we have free will, they mount illicit arguments (straw man fallacies) that some rival agent is involved. They then show how ludicrous it would be to assume that a rival agent is vying for control of our bodies and minds, thereby taking away our free will (or preventing us from having it in the first place). However, without these "bogymen," as Dennett put it, to anchor the philosophical discussions, the idea of a natural lack of free will would not be so strange. Why did Dennett think agency confound the discussion?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Answer of Discuss Dennett's insight that whenever philosophers or laypeople worry about whether we have free will, they mount illicit arguments (straw man fallacies) that some rival agent is involved. They then show how ludicrous it would be to assume that a rival agent is vying for control of our bodies and minds, thereby taking away our free will (or preventing us from having it in the first place). However, without these "bogymen," as Dennett put it, to anchor the philosophical discussions, the idea of a natural lack of free will would not be so strange. Why did Dennett think agency confound the discussion?

Discuss Dennett's Insight That Whenever Philosophers or Laypeople Worry About