THE FREE WILL SERIES

The Ancient Philosophy of Free Will

The Views of Ancient Philosophers on the Concept of Free Will

Photo by Giammarco Boscaro on Unsplash

Although the topic of free will was debated avidly among ancient philosophers, a direct reference to the term is difficult to find. Free will did not originate until much later. However, the schools of thought that underline free will; determinism, libertarianism, and compatibilism, have been formed for over 2000 years.

Before we start, it is useful to define the terms mentioned, as these form the basis of the philosophical debate of choice.

• Determinism, the theory that all events, including moral choices, are determined by previously existing causes. This theory is based on the presumption that humans cannot act otherwise than they do.
• Libertarianism, in the context of free will, is the belief that free will is incompatible with causal determinism, and agents have free will. They, therefore, reject causal determinism.
• Compatibilism is the belief that free will and determinism are mutually compatible and that it is possible to believe in both without being logically inconsistent.

Now that we understand the terminology within the philosophy of free will, we can explore the debate of choice in…