The concept of free will is profoundly important to our
self-understanding, our interpersonal relationships, and our moral and
legal practices. If it turns out that no one is ever free and morally
responsible, what would that mean for society, morality, meaning, and
the law?
Just Deserts brings together two philosophers - Daniel C. Dennett and
Gregg D. Caruso - to debate their respective views on free will, moral
responsibility, and legal punishment. In three extended conversations,
Dennett and Caruso present their arguments for and against the existence
of free will and debate their implications. Dennett argues that the kind
of free will required for moral responsibility is compatible with
determinism - for him, self-control is key; we are not responsible for
becoming responsible, but are responsible for staying responsible, for
keeping would-be puppeteers at bay. Caruso takes the opposite view,
arguing that who we are and what we do is ultimately the result of
factors beyond our control, and because of this we are never morally
responsible for our actions in the sense that would make us truly
deserving of blame and praise, punishment and reward.
Just Deserts introduces the concepts central to the debate about free
will and moral responsibility by way of an entertaining, rigorous, and
sometimes heated philosophical dialogue between two leading thinkers.
