Comments on the book

“Lockie provides one of the strongest reasons in the literature for embracing libertarian free will” –
László Bernáth, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, (full review here).

 

“Lockie’s book is a strikingly original exercise in philosophical ressourcement: refurbishing ancient philosophical theses and arguments and bringing them into conversation with predominant contemporary positions. Lockie provides linked transcendental arguments regarding the nature of our cognitive and practical agency, in favor of deontic epistemic internalism and metaphysical libertarianism. It is argued with care and style. The smart and informed critical perspective Lockie brings is a most useful stimulus, at minimum, to recognize afresh the uncertain basis of prevailing research programs – and perhaps to re-think them entirely.” –  Tim O’Connor, Professor of Philosophy, Indiana University at Bloomington

 

“… splendid … I hope the book will become a future classic in the discussion of free will”. Ingvar Johansson, Professor Emeritus in Theoretical Philosophy, Umeå University, Metaphysica

(full review here)
https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/mp.2019.20.issue-1/mp-2019-2008/mp-2019-2008.xml?rskey=NgYd87&result=2&q=lockie

 

“The fundamental aim of Lockie’s Free Will and Epistemology is to provide a transcendental argument for libertarian free will. The basis of this argument is that we can never be epistemically justified in undermining a strong notion of free will because any claim of this kind is itself justified only if we presuppose a strong notion of free will. The general argument advanced is both ambitious and rigorously presented. Lockie’s book is challenging and wide-ranging and makes a significant and valuable contribution to the debate.” – Paul Russell, Professor of Philosophy, University of British Columbia

 

“Lockie presents a thorough, nuanced argument for a (somewhat) commonsense and intuitive theory of moral agency and freedom … Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty.” –  CHOICE

 

“.. an impressive and comprehensive book, … This is an important contribution to both fields … I would recommend it highly for anyone who is about to enter graduate school and interested in the two main topics, as well as scholars in both fields.” – Joe Campbell, Professor of Philosophy Washington State University, review in the Australasian Journal of Philosophy

 

“In a brilliant demonstration of the continued relevance and unceasing attractions of broad-minded analytical philosophy, Lockie’s book offers a fresh take on a classical style of argument – variously referred to as peritrope, Epicurean, reversal, self-refutation or transcendental – that has exercised the minds of philosophers and philosophically-minded laymen since Antiquity. In the free will debate, the argument advanced is that the denial of free will cannot be stated without that denial undermining itself. The book infuses new life into this unjustly neglected idea providing what is perhaps its most rigorous and systematic formulation to date. As such, Lockie’s work is compulsory reading for all those specializing in the philosophy of free will. It will also be eminently useful to anyone interested more broadly in transcendental arguments as well as the epistemology of self-contradiction and justification.” – András Szigeti, Associate Director of the Lund-Gothenburg Responsibility Project, and Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Linköping

 

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