Thomas Reid On Freedom And Morality PDF Download

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1815. Excerpt: ... ESSAY IV. 4 OF THE LIBERTY OF MORAL AGENTS. CHAP. I. THE NOTIONS OF MORAL LIBERTY AND NECESSITY STATED. Br the liberty of a moral agent, I understand, a power over the dcterminations of his own will. If, in any action, he had power to will what he did, or aot to will it, in that action he is frce. But if, in every voluntary action, the dctermination of his will he the nceessary consequcnee of somcthing involuntary in the state of his mind, or of somcthing in his external cireumstanees, he is not frce; he has not what I eall the liberty of a moral agent, but is subjcet to nceessity. [Note A A.] This liberty supposes the agent to have understanding and will; for the dcterminations of the will are the sole objcet about which this power is employed; and there ean be no will, without, at least, such a degrce of understanding as gives the coneeption of that which we will. The liberty of a moral agent implics, not only a conception of what he wills, but some degrce of practieal judgment or reason. For, if he has not the judgment to diseern one determination to be preferable to another, cither in itself, or for some purpose which he intends, what ean be the use of a power to dctermine? his dcterminations must be made perfcetly in the dark, without reason, motive, or end. They ean ncither be right nor wrong, wise nor foolish. Whatever the consequcnees may be, they eannot be imputed to the agent, who had not the eapacity of foresceing tliem, or of pereciving any reason for acting otherwise than he did. We may perhaps be able to conecive a bcing endowed with power over the dcterminations of his will, without any light in his mind to dircet that power to some end. But such power would be given in vain. No exereise of it could be cither blamed or approved. As nature gives no power in vain, I sc...