Premium
Are the Folk Agent‐Causationists?
Author(s) -
TURNER JASON,
NAHMIAS EDDY
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
mind and language
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.905
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1468-0017
pISSN - 0268-1064
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-0017.2006.00295.x
Subject(s) - folk psychology , causation , epistemology , philosophy , philosophy of language , psychology , sociology , metaphysics
Experimental examination of how the folk conceptualize certain philosophically loaded notions can provide information useful for philosophical theorizing. In this paper, we explore issues raised in Shaun Nichols’ (2004) studies involving people’s conception of free will, focusing on his claim that this conception fits best with the philosophical theory of agent‐causation. We argue that his data do not support this conclusion, highlighting along the way certain considerations that ought to be taken into account when probing the folk conception of free will.