Episode 113: Determinism and the Principle of Sufficient Reason with Shaun Nichols

In this episode, we talk with Huzeyfe Demirtas about responsibility for consequences and how that relates to autonomous AI systems.Huzeyfe's Website: https://www.huzeyfedemirtas.com/Huzeyfe's paper, "Against the Degree-Scope Response to Moral Luck, or A Farewell to Responsibility for Consequences": https://philpapers.org/rec/DEMATD-7Huzeyfe's paper, "AI Responsibility Gap: Not New, Inevitable, Unproblematic": https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10676-024-09814-1Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/

In this episode, we talk with Shaun Nichols about folk beliefs about determinism and causal explanation.Shaun's website: https://sites.google.com/view/shaunbnichols/homeShaun's book, Bound: Essays on Free Will and Responsibility: https://academic.oup.com/book/9296Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/

In this episode, we talk with Andre Rusavuk about the problem of divine luck.Andre's website: https://philpeople.org/profiles/andre-rusavukAndre's paper, "Divine Actions and the Challenge of Present Luck": https://place.asburyseminary.edu/faithandphilosophy/vol40/iss3/1/Andre's paper, "The Luckiest of All Possible Beings: Divine Perfections and Constitutive Luck": https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11841-023-00960-5Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/

This episode starts a new series of the podcast that won’t have any particular guiding theme but instead looks at various topics that scholars are working on. In this episode, we talk with Nathan Bray and Stephen Kershnar about whether God is morally responsible. Nathan's Website: https://philpeople.org/profiles/nathan-bray-1Stephen's Website: https://philpeople.org/profiles/stephen-kershnarTwitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/

In this episode, we talk with Thomas Williams about John Duns Scotus and his views on free will and how they differ from Anselm's and Aquinas's views.Thomas's website: https://www.profthomaswilliams.com/Thomas's chapter on Scotus's views of free will can be found in the Routledge Companion to Free WillThomas also wrote the SEP article: John Duns ScotusTwitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/

In this episode, we talk with Harm Goris about Thomas Aquinas’s views of free will and human agency.Harm's website: https://tilburguniversity.academia.edu/HarmGorisHarm's chapter on Aquinas can be found in the Routledge Companion to Free Will.Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/

In this episode, we talk with Sandra Visser about Anselm of Canterbury and his views on human and divine freedom.Sandra's website: https://hope.edu/directory/people/visser-sandra/index.htmlSandra's chapter on Anselm in the Routledge Companion to Free Will: https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Companion-to-Free-Will/Timpe-Griffith-Levy/p/book/9780367869977Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/

In this episode, we talk with Jon McGinnis about Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) and his views about divine and human agency.Jon's website: https://www.medieval.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/jon-mcginnisJon's book, Avicenna: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/avicenna-9780195331479?cc=us&lang=en&Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/

In this episode, we talk with John Marenbon about free will and foreknowledge in Boethius's most famous work, the Consolation of Philosophy.John's PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/john-marenbonJohn's Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Boethius: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/boethius/Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/

In this episode, we talk with Jesse Coeuenhoven about Augustine’s views on free will, moral responsibility, and predestination. Jesse's website: https://www1.villanova.edu/university/liberal-arts-sciences/programs/theology/faculty/[email protected]&xsl=bio_longJesse's book: Striken by Sin, Cured by Christ: Agency, Necessity, and Culpability in Augustinian TheologyTwitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/