Self-paced
Passage A.
P1
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Intro topic ·
View that brain is sole cause of behavior has implications for law
Legal perspective and complicating fact ·
Rationality is all that matters
But some people are rational even though they're influence by something they can't control.
Complicating evidence ·
People might think they're rational, but might not be
Their behavior might be caused by things about their brain that they can't control.
Implication ·
Criminal law should focus on deterrence, not retribution
If people can't freely choose their actions, punishing them for choosing immoral acts doesn't make sense. Punishing should be about preventing future harm.
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P2
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Neuroscience perspective ·
Brain causes behavior
This view supports the idea that human action isn't a product of free will.
Other perspective ·
Free will is compatible with determinism
Determinism is the name for the view that human action isn't a product of free will.
P3
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Elaborate on other perspective ·
Difference between free actions and constrained actions.
Free actions are caused by things internal to a human (like will). These actions involved a choice between A or B. Constrained actions, including mental disorders, involve external forces that preclude someone from a choice. The person could only choose A.
P4
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Elaborate on other perspective ·
Source of cause determines free vs. constrained
Internal cause (with the exception of a mental disorder) = free. External cause = constrained.
Author's extension ·
Actions resulting from regular brains are free
Even if those actions results from wills that are "determined" by the brain, they're still free.
Passage Style
18.
Which one of the following ████████ █████ █ ████ ██ ███ ████████ ██ ███████ █ ███ ███ ██ ████ ██ ███████ ██
a
mental disorder
Mental disorder isn’t mentioned anywhere in Passage A. But it is
b
free choice
c
causality
d
self-delusion
e
moral responsibility
Passage B doesn’t mention moral responsibility. Although it discusses what kinds of actions are free, this is a separate issue from whether one bears moral responsibility for actions.