This quote isn’t world-shaking, but it does, in my opinion, correctly state the question(s) of free-will. In my various and sundry debates with Roger on this issue, we seem to stumble at what I think is the primary question of freedom, which is not “Could I have done otherwise?” Rather, the primary or first question regards the nature of the universe, “Is the universe determined, or in other words, is the future open?”

Here’s the quote from an authoritative libertarian, Robert Kane:

Those who are convinced that there is a conflict between free will and determinism…are called incompatibilists about free will. They believe free will and determinism are incompatible. If incompatibilists also believe that an incompatibilist free will exists, so that determinism is false, they are called libertarians about free will.

from Four Views on Free Will Blackwell, 2007.

So, there are two questions involved, one which has a dual consideration:
1) Hypothetically, is free will incompatible with determinism?
2) Does the world exhibit determinism? Do humans exhibit freedom?

It should be noted that according to Kane, one can answer “No” to 1) and “Yes” to both aspects of 2), and one would NOT be a libertarian. He would be a compatibilist. One is only a libertarian (on free will, not politics obviously), if one is BOTH an incompatibilist and a believer in freedom, (Yes to 1 and No/Yes to 2).

Also, it should be noted that question 1 is on a very different plane of reasoning that 2. It may be that we can philosophize about the interaction between hypotheticals without actually believing in the existence of either free will or determinism. However, question 2 is different, in that it asks us to actually claim the reality of these concepts. This question must answer to Scripture, if we are men of faith.

Thoughts? Obviously, this quote doesn’t define “freedom”, but if you’re interested here’s Kane’s criteria for freedom:

1) we could have chosen/acted otherwise
2) the ultimate sources of our actions lie in us, and not outside us in factor beyond our control