John Locke's Argument Against The Will Being Free

910 Words2 Pages

This essay discusses John Locke statement: “it is as insignificant to ask, whether Man’s Will be free, as to ask, whether his Sleep be Swift, or his Vertue square: Liberty being as little applicable to the Will, as swiftness of Motion is to Sleep, or squareness to Vertue.” Locke came to this conclusion while writing on the subject Of Power in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Subsequently, I argue whether Locke is successful in establishing this parameter against the Will’s being Free. I conclude that Locke makes an inconsistent and unclear argument about this specific subject. This conclusion will be address in this essay. In order to perform this task, I will first state the argument that Locke makes. An explanation of the argument will follow after. Next, I will offer an argument that contradicts Locke’s view. Finally, I will demonstrate how Locke’s argument can be attacked, making it unstable to its previous claim.
On Book II, Chapter XXI Of Power in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, John Locke argues against the Will being Free. Locke reasons that Will is a power: “This power which the mind has, thus to order the consideration of any idea, or the forbearing to consider it; or to prefer the motion of any part of the body to its rest, and vice versa in any particular instance is that which we call the will” (2.21.5). In addition, Locke claims that the exercise of directing this power in any particular action is what we call “volition or willing” (2.21.5). According to Locke, Liberty is also a power, however, this power is found “in any agent to do or forbear any particular action, according to the determination or thought of the mind” (2.21.8). After these two clear distinctions have been made, Locke argues th...

... middle of paper ...

...hat the mind occasionally has the liberty, with respect of willing, to perform actions. Locke also seems to add a second distinct characteristic that liberty has. In this case, not only liberty has the power to do or forbear action, it also has the power to suspend the execution of action in order to decide what course of action to take. Lastly, he insist that freedom cannot possibly be asserted by will, yet later he reasons although he believes improperly that, free will is the power to suspend execution in order to decide.
This essay discussed John Locke’s view about the Will’s being Free and how he concluded that the Will was not free. This is an outcome that he discovered while writing On Power on An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. I have offered reasons for why this is an argument that seems to contradict itself, which makes it inconsistent and unstable.

Show More
Related

  • The Central Conflict Behind Free Will: Problems From Philosophy By James Rachels

    1083 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thesis: The central conflict behind free will is determining whether or not it humans have the freedom of

    Read More

  • Determinism And Capitalism: An Analysis Of David Hume's Compatibilism

    1132 Words  | 3 Pages

    Regarding the notion of the ‘free will,’ it is clear that the issue of determinism and freedom based on a moral obligation seems probable in life. Precisely, this is because both the first part and second parts are compatible in nature. All the two constituents of the Compatibilism entail liberty and necessity the way David Hume supposed his clear claims, and therefore determinism is considered a true element. However, another philosopher may argue that freedom may exists regardless of the fact that determinism may be not true and still implies a necessity; a moral responsibility. In this regard, I strongly support Hume’s notion of Compatibilism as a plausible concept of the ‘free will,’ and further reasons that the best objection to it is

    Read More

  • The Beliefs of Locke and Newton, Inspired Jonathan Edwards

    1493 Words  | 3 Pages

    Furthermore, Locke's passion for morality is also seen in his interpretation of the social contract. We see that Locke's ideas in freedom of life, liberty, and property have formed the basic morals of past and current governments. One of Edwards's morals that have been seen throughout American history is the infinite sovereignty of G...

    Read More

  • David Hume: Compatibilism And Hume

    1937 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hume presents his argument with three phases; the first proves the Principle of Determinism, he then goes on to prove Human Freedom also exists, coming to the conclusion the two are compatible. The foundation of his...

    Read More

  • Locke and Rousseau

    1787 Words  | 4 Pages

    Locke and Rousseau present themselves as two very distinct thinkers. They both use similar terms, but conceptualize them differently to fulfill very different purposes. As such, one ought not be surprised that the two theorists do not understand liberty in the same way. Locke discusses liberty on an individual scale, with personal freedom being guaranteed by laws and institutions created in civil society. By comparison, Rousseau’s conception portrays liberty as an affair of the entire political community, and is best captured by the notion of self-rule. The distinctions, but also the similarities between Locke and Rousseau’s conceptions can be clarified by examining the role of liberty in each theorist’s proposed state of nature and civil society, the concepts with which each theorist associates liberty, and the means of ensuring and safeguarding liberty that each theorist devises.

    Read More

  • The Philosophy of John Locke

    1503 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Locke’s state of nature, men exist in a “state of perfect freedom” over their actions, possessions, and persons, within the law of nature (Locke 269). They do not depend on other men for anything. This complete intellectual and physical freedom is a natural state, but is not a perfect state. Locke acknowledges that full freedom, without a government to moderate it, doe...

    Read More

  • Lycurgus's Trying To Peruse Analysis

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    Explaining how a person obtains the right to property through labors acts. Locke explains if a person puts the effort to take a product out of nature, he in turn, has gained the benefit of his labors making that person the owner of that property that was once in nature. Furthermore, explaining that each man has the right to property for his own person. No other man can infringe on the natural right of personal property. However, one cannot benefit from his labors too much. Locke explains that greed is not a natural right of men, thus, if one has too much property from his labors he should share and not let the product spoil. From what a person produces he cannot benefit from becomes property of the common person. Same with land, if one has too much land to which he cannot tell and it is left unused, it should be given to someone who can use the land to better mankind. For these reasons, a check was made on the amount a person can own or benefit from the fruit of a person labors. Locke explains one must consent with fellow commoners on what a person should own so no man can have too much. Locke’s end was to allow for private property, however, waste was not a right he saw for the common man. A society based on flourishing and enough to live a comfortable life, that no man or government could infringe on, was the end Locke saw to meet with his writing through Natural and Divine

    Read More

  • Hospers and Free Will: An Analysis

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    Author's Argument: in " Meaning and Free Will" American philospher Jhon Hosper attempts to restructure the common notion of freedom. The point of his article is to demonstrate the flaws on the conventinal definition of a free action and provide a deeper understanding about the issue. His article begins by stating the ordinary definition of a free act " an act is free if and only if it is voluntary" (Hspers 653) and then follows with a series of examples where an act is performed voluntarily but evidently does not convey the idea of freedom. the common theme in these examples is an action being carried out under some sort of pressure or how he calls it compulsion. Hence, he goes on to refine the definition of a free act by suggesting that an action performed voluntarily and under no compulsion seems to be a sufficient condition to ensure that an act is indeed free. Nevertheless, he continuous presenting a different example where the refined definition leaves an air of dissatisfaction. With this new obstacle he decides to switch the focus of the article into the doer of the action and not ...

    Read More

  • Hume vs. Beauvoir

    1073 Words  | 3 Pages

    The debate regarding free will and determinism has made its appearance in history several times, and the argument only continues to grow. The topic under debate deals with “the doctrine that all events, including human action, are ultimately determined by causes external to the will” (determinism) and “the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate” (free will). Hume’s argument concerning “the doctrine of liberty” and “the doctrine of necessity” mostly focuses on establishing the truth and character of necessity. He centers on the relation between the two concepts and effectively reflects what liberty means [to him].

    Read More

  • Self Interest in the Political Philosophies of Mill and Locke

    1499 Words  | 3 Pages

    In order to understand how Mill and Locke came to the conclusion of how much freedom a person should possess, we must understand what a political thinker perceives as freedom and liberty. In John Locke’s writings, The Second Treaties of Government, he states that “all men exist in a state of perfect freedom to order their actions and dispose of their possessions and person as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave or depend...

    Read More

  • Good vs Evil in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game

    1037 Words  | 3 Pages

    Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper void of all characters, without any ideas. How comes it to be furnished? Whence comes it by that vast store which the busy and boundless fancy of man has painted on it with an almost endless variety? Whence has it all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this I answer, in one word, from experience (Locke, 1690/1947, bk. II, chap. 1, p.26).

    Read More

  • Comparing John Locke, John Stuart Mill, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau

    2030 Words  | 5 Pages

    In order to examine how each thinker views man and the freedom he should have in a political society, it is necessary to define freedom or liberty from each philosopher’s perspective. John Locke states his belief that all men exist in "a state of perfect freedom to order their actions and dispose of their possessions and person as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave or depending upon the will of any other man." (Ebenstein 373) Locke believes that man exists in a state of nature and thus exists in a state of uncontrollable liberty, which has only the law of nature, or reason, to restrict it. (Ebenstein 374) However, Locke does state that man does not have the license to destroy himself or any other creature in his possession unless a legitimate purpose requires it. Locke emphasizes the ability and opportunity to own and profit from property as necessary for being free.

    Read More

  • Libertarianism Essay

    1830 Words  | 4 Pages

    Is the libertarian view of free will convincing? Critically discuss with reference to relevant philosophers.

    Read More

  • Locke's Impatibilist Argument Of Free Will

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    74). Actions to Locke are not what happens to us, which is passive, but what we do, which is active. He also explains that volition is not a preference, but an act that the mind does to determine whether a person can or cannot do something (pp. 76). He gives the example of a tennis ball being unfree due to it lacking the ability to have thoughts, volition, and preference for movement (pp. 75). Locke states that we do not have liberty if our desires do not correspond with our powers or what we realistically can do (pp. 75). He gives the example of a man walking on a bridge that collapses; the man cannot will himself not to fall since it is outside of his power to stop falling. Therefore, the man, in that situation, is unfree (pp. 75). But the moment the man regains control over his thoughts and movements is the moment he is free (pp. 75). To Locke, there are three occasions where we do not have freedom; when things that happen to us are necessary, when our actions are out of compulsion, and in the case of restraint which is when we stop an action although it is contrary to our volition (pp. 76). We can assume that Locke would agree with the compatibility theory which states that freedom and determinism go hand in hand. As Locke explains, sometimes we are free and sometimes our choices are dependent on

    Read More

  • Conflicting Visions of Freedom in John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty and John Locke’s The Second Treatise of Government

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty and John Locke’s The Second Treatise of Government are influential literary works while which outlining the theoretical framework of each thinkers optimal state propose two conflicting visions of the very essence of man and his freedom. Locke and Mill have completely different views when it comes to how much freedom man should have in political society because they have obtained different views about man’s potential of inheriting pure or evil behavior.

    Read More

More about John Locke's Argument Against The Will Being Free

Open Document