FREE YOUR MIND: BUDDHISM, CAUSALITY, AND THE FREE WILL PROBLEM
Zygon® June 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1111/zygo.12586 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Keywords | Free will Incompatibilism Autonomy Metaphysics Sense of agency Epistemology Agency philosophy Causality physics Control management Self Buddhist philosophy Moral responsibility Law Theology Artificial intelligence |
| Key points | Argues that Buddhism's doctrines of momentariness, dependent arising, and no-self are compatible with a conception of mental autonomy grounded in meditative cultivation, and that Buddhist antisubstantialist metaphysics can account for personal agency and moral responsibility. |
Abstract
Abstract The problem of free will is associated with a specific and significant kind of control over our actions, which is understood primarily in the sense that we have the freedom to do otherwise or the capacity for self‐determination. Is Buddhism compatible with such a conception of free will? The aim of this article is to address three critical issues concerning the free will problem: (1) what role should accounts of physical and neurobiological processes play in discussions of free will? (2) Is a conception of mental autonomy grounded in practices of meditative cultivation compatible with the three cardinal Buddhist doctrines of momentariness, dependent arising, and no‐self? (3) Are there enough resources in Buddhism, given its antisubstantialist metaphysics, to account for personal agency, self‐control, and moral responsibility?