Introduction
Humean compatibilism is a belief in the possibility of free will within the context of determined actions. This viewpoint is a compromise between the philosophically opposed ideas of free will and determinism. Whereas free will argues for the absence of predetermined fate, determinism states that all events are caused by natural laws and cannot be avoided. The debate around Humean compatibilism primarily focuses on different interpretations of laws of nature.
Discussion
Arguments against Humean compatibilism revolve around human inability to affect the laws of nature and the past. First, people are inevitably influenced by previous events, which cannot be changed regardless of their decisions. Second, human actions cannot alter the laws of nature, which determine the consequences on human lives (Buckareff, 2019). Therefore, compatibilism is not true since all actions and events are determined by the laws of nature and the remote past.
Arguments for Humean compatibilism focus on the flexibility of laws of nature. Humeans believe that “laws of nature do not govern or necessitate” but “rather, they are descriptive” (Buckareff, 2019, p. 56). In essence, human actions can transpire according to the variants set by laws of nature, but they are not determined by them entirely. Therefore, free will exists, as the universe allows people to choose among the possibilities determined by the laws of nature.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Humean compatibilism is a plausible position because there is no consensus on the essence of the laws of nature. As much as determinists believe that laws of nature govern all events, compatibilists believe that laws of nature merely set the rules for behavior. Subsequently, free will can also be interpreted differently, as it can be determined by fixed laws of nature or allowed by the possibilities set by the laws of nature.
Reference
Buckareff, A. A. (2019). Time, leeway, and the laws of nature: Why Humean compatibilists cannot be eternalists. Metaphysica, 20(1), 51-71. Web.