Tempered Enthusiasm for Four Views on Free Will

A review at NDPR by fellow Gardener, Dan Speak (LMU).

Comments

[Kip Werking]

The second to last paragraph of that review is absolutely brilliant. Thanks, Dan.

[John Fischer]

Argh, Rico, is it really accurate to entitle your post, "Tempered Enthusiasm for Four Views"??? After all, Dan just says in the last paragraph that he's tempering his entusiasm with one minor complaint! Yikes, one just can't win, can one?

[Kevin Timpe]

For the record, my enthusiasm for the volume isn't tempered, and I look forward to using it as one of the primary texts in a course I'm teaching next spring. The four authors should look forward to making dollars from my class.

[Rico Vitz]

Shhh, John. Adding 'Tempered' to the title is just a provocative ploy to get people to click on the link and read the review. And since Dan doesn't temper his enthusiasm until the final paragraph, they'll have to read the whole thing. (I learned this ploy from my local news, which always promises tantilizing sports coverage in the first minute and doesn't deliver it until the final five.) Don't be alarmed ... and don't let the cat out of the bag!

[Tamler Sommers]

I want to second Kip's untempered enthusiasm about Dan's second to last paragraph.

Dan, if you have more to say along those lines (or if you've published something already and forgive me if you have) I'd love to see or hear it...For an Anaheim Angels fan, you write a pretty good review.

[tnadelhoffer]

I, too, will be using the book this fall in my "free will and science" seminar. Unfortunately, the class is capped at 15, so don't expect the royalties to put your kids through college! Seriously though, I think it is an outstanding introductory book on the free will debate and I am excited to use it this fall to inch my class into the ever growing depths of the underlying issues concerning free will and moral responsibility.

[Dan]

Thanks for the kind words about the review, gentlemen. It really is a very good book for our classes...

Kip: The only other person who has described any of my doings as "absolutely brilliant" is my wife-- and the eye-rolling suggests that an ironic interpretation would be best there. I can't see your eyes so I'll take it as a genuine compliment.

Tamler: I've tried to work some of the details out in one paper and am continuing to "make progress" on a fuller treatment even as I post this. The paper appeared in the Phil Topics volume John Fischer special-edited a little while back. It is entitled "Toward an Axiological Defense of Libertarianism." No electronic version, I'm afraid. But I would be happy to send it along to you if you don't have that volume. As for the Angels, they are now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, not the Anaheim Angels! And we are definitely planning to meet your Cambridge Red Sox of Boston in the playoffs. I sure hope Papi's knees and Manny's head hold up.

[Tamler Sommers]

Dan,

Please do send me that paper, I've been cut off from my library subscription here.

And I apologize for the mix-up about your team's name. That was unforgivable. As penance, I'll refrain from watching the Red Sox game tonight at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

[Kip Werking]

Dan,

The compliment is genuine.

Your paper echoes what Saul Smilansky said at Inland 2006, in his paper about "Bad News".