Philosophy Department

Freedom and Responsibility
(PHLV 3184)

Robert O'Brien

Starting with the challenge of Dostoevsky's legendary Grand Inquisitor--do you really want to be free?--we shall trace the notion of freedom out of the destiny-ridden Greek tragedies, into the later question of freedom before a God and into some modern controversies about determinism, resorting to a variety of authors such as Rollo May, Erich Fromm, J-P Sartre.  But with freedom comes responsibility. There appears to be in our society today an increasing avoidance of personal responsibility by placing blame on all sorts of factors and forces other than freely chosen actions. Therefore, this course will investigate the extent to which persons can be said to be free and responsible for their actions and character in a world said to be ruled by destiny or persons determined by social, cultural, psychological factors. Issues of will and will-power, freedom of choice, moral responsibility and punishment will be treated through philosophical works and the literature of freedom starting with the problem of fate or destiny in classical dramas.