Welcome to SPACE, our adult continuing education program which offers interactive monthly courses for personal enrichment! Learn more here.
October 2026
Candidate
Standard Module
Being Scheduled
Mixed Lecture/Discussion
Medium intensity
Days and Times
As soon as we obtain enough interest in this class we will be in touch to work out a meeting time that works for the group. Thank you for keeping your October 2026 availability up to date!
This class needs more pre-enrollment by September 1 to get confirmed.
This module is a standing candidate which means it will be ready to launch as soon as it gets enough interest. Token holders can set aside a Token to reserve their seat for class and help it get confirmed.
Do humans have free will? As science progresses, events in the world become more predictable and less chaotic. Some people argue that humans are no different from other physical objects in that they do not have free will, while others argue that our actions are determined by our beliefs and desires, our environment, or the past, which are not up to us. These considerations and others have led to an ongoing debate in philosophy about whether it is possible for humans to make free, undetermined choices.
In this module, we will discuss the major views about free will, the primary arguments for and against those views, and how this debate relates to issues such as the nature of the mind, moral responsibility, and punishment.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
In this module, we will discuss the major views about free will, the primary arguments for and against those views, and how this debate relates to issues such as the nature of the mind, moral responsibility, and punishment.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
| Outline | 8-Session Structure |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Session 1: Introduction to the Free Will Problem |
| Session 2: Compatibilism | |
| Week 2 | Session 3: Libertarianism |
| Session 4: Mind, Free Will, and Causes | |
| Week 3 | Session 5: Hard Determinism |
| Session 6: Alternative Possibilities and the New Compatibilists | |
| Week 4 | Session 7: Ultimate Responsibility and Modern Science |
| Session 8: Conclusion |
Required Texts
Students need access to A Contemporary Introduction to Free Will by Robert Kane (2005).
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