Metaphilosophy and Free Will
[A] concise and startling treatment of free will."--Choice"This work has all the virtues of Double's earlier book,The Non-Reality of Free Will. It is iconoclastic in the views defended and, as a consequence, highly provocative--yet at the same time very well-argued. It should be read widely and will provoke sharp reactions from philosophers and others in different fields."--Robert Kane,University of Texas at Austin"The most innovative work on free will in the last decade. Double clearly and persuasively argues that, at root, the differing views on free will have their origins in distinct conceptions about the nature of philosophy itself. This work will energize discussion in this area. In elucidating assumptions that Compatibilists, Libertarians, and Hard Determinists hold, we discover that the relevant domain of argument revolves around questions of greater generality than previously acknowledged. With jargon-free, cogent argumentation, this work may well prove to be a watershed in the free will debate."--Mark Bernstein,University of Texas at San Antonio"For those of us who have been simultaneously fascinated and frustrated by the twists and turns and dead ends in the long debate over free will, this is the road atlas we have longed for. Richard Double'sMetaphilosophy and Free Willis not only a sure guide through the maze of arguments and positions; it also makes clear the connections and conflicts, and most importantly it makes plain the key hidden assumptions that have subtly shaped the debate.Metaphilosophy and Free Willargues cogently for a preferred route throughout the free will tangle, but even those who do not accept the overall conclusions will find this an enlightening tour.[cont. in next field][cont. from above] This is a book packed with insights, insights offered by a philosopher with thorough detailed knowledge of the contemporary free will debate, who combines that knowledge of detail with a profound grasp of the larger philosophical context in which that debate occurs. When struggling with the free will question, I have often had the sense of looking through a glass darkly; Richard Double'sMetaphilosophy and Free Willbrilliantly washes that philosophical window."--Bruce N. Waller,Youngstown State University