Frankfurt: "Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person" j.Santiago

Intro: Attempt to distinguish "Persons" from "Wantons," because many philosophically valuable things come from drawing such a distinction –most noteworthy is the notion of being active vs. passive with respect to one’s self.
  1. Persons: critters with an interest in their will
    1. Not Species Specific: quickly writes off common interpretations of term to reserve it as an honorific.
    2. Structure of the Will: "reflective self-evaluation" p. 12 (not just capable of wanting x, but CAPABLE of wanting to want x, or having an aversion towards wanting x.)
    1. Wants, Desires, Preferences –interchangeable
    2. Positive and Negative "wants"
    3. Reason’s role: necessary but not sufficient (c.f. Kant)
  1. The Hierarchical Model 2nd Order – W,X,Y,Z

1st Order – w, x, y, z

Acts: A, B
    1. 1st Order
    1. Desires: desires to do or not do something.
    2. Volitions: those 1st order desires that are effective in moving one to act
    3. The Will: a subset of the agent’s 1st order desires, c.f. {x,y}.
    1. 2nd Order
    1. Desires: desires (resulting from higher order reflection) upon 1st order.
    2. Volitions: desires (resulting from higher order reflection) upon what actually moves one to act (the subset {X,Y}).
    1. Congruence/Identifying with Desires: The 2nd order desire to have a given 1st order desire.
  1. Wantons: critters with no interest in their will
    1. Type One: 2nd Order –

      2. 1st Order – w, x, y, z

      Acts: A, B

    2. Type Two: 2nd Order – W

1st Order – w, x, y, z

Acts: A, B
  1. Free Will
    1. Decisive Commitments: intentional stance towards a 1st order desire.
    1. Intentional: plan to uphold desire to x or dedicate one’s purpose to x.
    2. "resounding": such commitments hold for higher order reflections.
    1. Endorsement: Congruence + Decisive Commitment.
    2. Freedom of the Will: being free to have the will one wants.
    3. Acting of one’s own free will: distinction between having a free will and acting of one’s free will
    1. Having a free will requires alternative possible Endorsements
    2. Acting of one’s free will only requires actual Endorsement