3 Responses to the Basic Argument

Strawson talks about three basic kinds of responses to the Basic Argument.

1.  The compatibalist response will be to say that moral responsibility does not require that a person is completely in control of how they are.  In other words, one can say that moral responsibility is compatible with my inability to completely shape who I am.  Strawson responds to this by saying that such responsibility is not 'true' moral responsibility.

2.  The libertarian will simply deny that what I do is determined by who I am.  Some actions are indeterministic, according to Kane.  Strawson replies that in such a case, the indeterministic nature of my actions only makes them more random.  This randomness also seems to conflict with the notion that I am morally responsible.

An alternate libertarian objection would be simply to deny that determinism is true.

3.  The phenomenological response will be so say that it feels like there is some self, S, that can act independently from all the contingent facts about myself.  In other words, no matter what my pre-existing personality, character and motivations are, my 'self' can still choose to act independently of these facts.  Strawson responds by saying that in reality, this 'self' is dependent upon your character, personality and existing motivational structures.