A new puppet puzzle. (1st September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bailey, Andrew M.; Rasmussen, Joshua
• Is Part Of: Philosophical explorations. Volume 23:Number 3(2020)
• Page Start: 202
• Page End: 213
• Publication Date: 2020-09-01
• Subjects: Moral responsibility -- mereology -- parthood -- agency -- materialism -- priority; Philosophy of mind -- Periodicals; Act (Philosophy) -- Periodicals; 128
• DOI: 10.1080/13869795.2020.1799661
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1386-9795

Abstract

Abstract : We develop a new puzzle concerning a material being's relationship to the smallest parts of the material world. In particular, we investigate how a being could be responsible for anything if its behavior is completely determined by the behavior of those small parts. Many discussions of determinism and responsibility have focused on a determinism that moves from past to future. The determination at issue in our paper is importantly different: it moves from the bottom up.