The Bull in the China Shop: A Discussion of an Ambiguity Within Pettit's Theory of Freedom as Discursive Control (Philip Pettit, A Theory of Freedom: From the Psychology to the Politics of Agency)

Authors

  • Steven J Youngblood Massey University

Keywords:

Free Will, Value Theory, Pettit, Discursive Control

Abstract

In Philip Pettit's "A Theory of Freedom”, Pettit claims that being free to do something is being held responsible for what we do; so whatever theory of freedom we develop must allow the agent to be held responsible for the free actions that they do. In this paper I am going to examine Pettit's claim about what a satisfactory theory of freedom would require, and discuss several ambiguities within the theory. However, within this reading two major interpretations may be taken: the first of which suggests that freedom can only be freedom when there is a moral ‘ought' involved; the second is a more generous reading in which freedom includes all realms of responsibility.

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Published

15-08-2005

How to Cite

Youngblood, S. J. (2005). The Bull in the China Shop: A Discussion of an Ambiguity Within Pettit’s Theory of Freedom as Discursive Control (Philip Pettit, A Theory of Freedom: From the Psychology to the Politics of Agency). Cosmos and History: The Journal of Natural and Social Philosophy, 1(1), 185–190. Retrieved from http://cosmosandhistory.org/index.php/journal/article/view/11

Issue

Section

Book Reviews