Essay with critical and supporting arguments for the work Freedom of the Will and Concept of a Person by Harry Frankfurt submitted to philosophy of human nature Phil 171 at UVA on

8/13/2019 Essay with critical and supporting arguments for the work Freedom of the Will and Concept of a Person by Harry

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Online essays.Introduction to philosophy:

PHIL 101 Essay 1 Option 2 Descartes and morality of certainty

Ethics: PHI 220 July 2011 essay on three arguments from each of S as ! "riedman and #ilson and their

conclusions Phil 220 June 200$ essay on %entham and &ill on utilitarianism

Human Nature: Phil 1'1 10('(0$ ) 1 complete essay ( "reedom of the *ill and concept of a person Phil 1'1 11(11(0$ ) 2 essay final ( nature of morality Phil 1'1 12(11(0$ ) + ,uestion 2 essay ( -ompare and contrast ho* Ho..es ! Loc/e ! and Hume *ould

Jonathan Bean

October 7, 2009

PHIL 1710-100 Human Nature

Professor Langsam

T ! Pau"

Claim # 4

I agree #$th the c"a$m that Harr% &ran'furt states $n h$s #or', (&ree)om of the #$"" an) conce*t of a

*erson+ The c"a$m states ( .T/he essence of be$ng a *erson "$es not $n reason but $n #$"" + hen use) here,

the #or) (*erson+ $s not meant to be the s$ngu"ar form of (*eo*"e+ In &ran'furt s essa% as #e"" as $n th$s one, a

*erson $s a be$ng that has the un$ ue set of attr$butes that )$st$ngu$sh Humans from other s*ec$es &ran'furt

reasons that the #$"" $s the un$ ue an) essent$a" character$st$c that se*arates the human s*ec$es from other "esser

an$ma"s Th$s ma'es the #$"" an $m*ortant *h$"oso*h$ca" conce*t To un)erstan) the argument, $t $s necessar% to

un)erstan) f$rst #hat $s meant #hen &ran'furt uses the term (#$""+ &ran'furt c"ar$f$es the mean$ng #hen he

e"aborates on th$s un$ ue character$st$c of man b% sa%$ng that men are (ca*ab"e of #ant$ng to be )$fferent, $n

the$r *references an) *ur*oses, from #hat the% are + 3$m$"ar"%, the 4ncarta 5$ct$onar% )ef$nes $t, #hen use) as a

noun, as the (*o#er to )ec$)e+ Both the )$ct$onar% an) &ran'furt are s$m$"ar $n the #a% the% )escr$be $t as a

un$ ue ab$"$t% an) as a *rocess
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It $s a"so $m*ortant to un)erstan) ho# the #$"" $s )$fferent from ha6$ng a s$m*"e )es$re The ma$n

)$fference $s that of o#nersh$* #$"" be"ongs to a *erson s $)ent$t% #here as a )es$re $s an outs$)e force on an

ent$t%

On"% humans can ha6e a #$"" )og #$"" ne6er uest$on $ts )es$re to run after a ba"" It ma% get t$re) an)

"$e )o#n If, at the same t$me, $t #ants to "$e )o#n an) chase a ba"", then one )es$re #$"" #$n out because the%

are $n conf"$ct #$th each other The strongest )es$re #$"" "ea) the )og to act$on

&ran'furt uses the term (#anton+ to )escr$be those humans #ho act #$thout a #$"" The #anton )oes not

care #h$ch of h$s conf"$ct$ng )es$res #$"" mo6e h$m to act #anton $s not a *erson *erson must ha6e a #$""

to gu$)e the$r act$ons &ran'furt best )escr$bes th$s b% us$ng an e am*"e $n6o"6$ng a #anton narcot$c a))$ct an)

an un#$""$ng narcot$c a))$ct The #anton engages $n h$s a))$ct$on because the )es$re to )o so $s stronger than

the )es$re not to )o so The un#$""$ng a))$ct )es$res not to be mo6e) b% the )es$re to engage $n h$s a))$ct$on,

but he acts on th$s )es$re aga$nst h$s #$"" not to

It $s )angerous to be a #anton There can be no sat$sfact$on $n fu"f$""$ng a )es$re If there $s no

*art$c$*at$on b% one $n )$rect$ng a )es$re of h$s, then he ma% ne6er e *er$ence sat$sfact$on $n the fu"f$""ment of

that )es$re 3at$sfact$on $s fee)bac' that te""s one that he succee)e) $n *$"ot$ng h$s )es$res to#ar)s someth$ng

mean$ngfu" to h$m

Objections to claimThere are man% ob8ect$ons to th$s c"a$m about the essence of be$ng a human One ma% as' #hat th$s

c"a$m a$ms to e *"a$n 5oes th$s c"a$m attem*t to ans#er a uest$on :ore $m*ortant"%, #hat ma% be at the

or$g$n of th$s uest$on hat $s the un'no#n that th$s c"a$m attem*ts to )$sco6er If th$s c"a$m $s true, then #hat

are the *oss$b"e conse uences The ans#ers to these uest$ons can great"% $m*act both $ts 6a"$)$t% an)

acce*tance Th$s c"a$m can on"% be acce*te) as the truth $f $ts a**"$cat$ons an) conse uences are mora" for

e6er%one

If someone s #$"" $s not to ha6e one then are the% a *erson 3omeone can ha6e a #$"" to not ha6e a #$""

because $t $s "ess stressfu" to be a #anton &ran'furt te""s us that a #$"" can be base) on an%th$ng, so $t )oes not

ha6e to be mora" or e6en *ract$ca" 3omeone $n th$s s$tuat$on $s a *erson e6en though the$r #$"" )oes not ha6e a

strong base


3/4

Is he;she a *erson, one #ho ne6er consc$ous"% )ec$)es on a #$"", )es*$te act$ng accor)$ng to #$""fu"

beha6$or


4/4

*u"" %ou to#ar)s )$fferent )$rect$ons It $s as $f one has t#o *ersons $n them an) must com*rom$se a *erson It

ma% be a)6antageous for a *erson to choose one #$"" an) #$th)ra# from the other *rom*t"% to a6o$) th$s agon%

hat $f someone chooses a #$"" but $s amb$6a"ent to#ar)s the success or fa$"ure of the #$"" In th$s case

one #ou") st$"" be a *erson The% are s$m*"% choos$ng that emot$ons )o not mot$6ate the$r act$on Th$s #ou") be

a t%*$ca" of a sto$c *erson 3ome *eo*"e choose to be mot$6ate) b% the e *ectat$on of sat$sfact$on an) others are

)eterm$ne) to be mot$6ate) b% reason a"one

*oss$b"e counter argument ma% be that #e use reason to te"" us #hat #e shou") )es$re =eason te""s us

that $f #e #ant to "$6e a ha**% "$fe then #e shou") gra)uate from co""ege an) start a career If one #ants to

ma'e a goo) "$6$ng then #e must )o #hat reason suggests #e )o to get there To counter th$s argument I #ou")

sa% that reason $s on"% a too" that a )es$re ma% use as a means to meet $ts o#n en)s It fo""o#s that $f reason )oes

not affect our )es$res then $t must not affect our #$"" One cannot ha6e a #$"" #$thout f$rst ha6$ng reason to

structure $t =eason can be use) to te"" one facts about onese"f that one ma% use to e6a"uate h$s )es$res Th$s

e *"a$ns #h% some *eo*"e, such as ch$")ren, )o not ha6e a #$"" The% ma% a"so ha6e no nee) for $t s$nce

fu"f$""$ng the$r )es$res )oes not ha6e much conse uence for them

:an% arguments ob8ect an) man% su**ort th$s c"a$m about the conce*t of a *erson &ran'furt ma'es

man% goo) arguments There rema$n a "ot of o*en uest$ons The 6a"$)$t% of the c"a$m $s unreso"6e) unt$"

further measures are ta'en ?nt$" then, I agree #$th the c"a$m

Documents

Essay with critical and supporting arguments for the work Freedom of the Will and Concept of a Person by Harry Frankfurt submitted to philosophy of human nature Phil 171 at UVA on