Thesis Chapters by Richard P Swinney
A critical exposition of the metaphysics and phenomenology of human hope and its relations to freely chosen action, 2019
In the dissertation presented herewith, I critically explore the relations between human hope and... more In the dissertation presented herewith, I critically explore the relations between human hope and freely chosen action from an existential-phenomenological perspective. My research question is, “If there is no hope of achieving some goal, would one freely choose to pursue it nonetheless?” My answer to this question is “No”. Accordingly, my thesis is that one chooses to freely act only on condition that there is hope that the prospect can be achieved. In short, I argue that hope is the source of all freely chosen action.
The dissertation falls into two Parts, comprising nine Chapters. Part I is propaedeutic, and introduces the central concepts in the philosophy of hope. Chapter 1 discusses the phenomena of belief and desire as necessary conditions of the experience of hope, and critically appraises the belief-desire thesis: the view that belief in conjunction with desire forms a sufficient condition for hope to be experienced. Chapter 2 discusses human agency in relation to hope. I propose intention as a further necessary condition of hope. Chapter 3 distinguishes between ordinary hope and fundamental hope, in terms of the belief and desire respective to each. Chapter 4 investigates the ontological presuppositions of the experience of human hope, laying stress on the finitude of human existence. Lastly, Chapter 5 counters and refutes scepticism of hope.
Part II discusses human hope in relation to freely chosen action, using the insights gained from Part I. Chapter 6 examines hope and libertarian conceptions of free choice. Libertarianism is the view that human beings have the capacity to freely choose their actions in a universe of alternative possibilities. I argue that the experience of human hope is co-articulate with the libertarian views of, firstly, “simple indeterminism,” and, secondly, “event-causal libertarianism”. My contention is that, in the aforementioned libertarian frameworks, fundamental hope is the source of free action, and that ordinary hope is the instrument of free choice. Chapter 7 examines hope in relation to compatibilist conceptions of free choice. Here, I consider the question of the compatibility of hope and determinism, the view that there is only one possible future course of events. I conclude that the experience of hope is compatible with a deterministic view of the universe. Given the compatibility of hope and determinism, I argue that, even in a compatibilist setting, hope remains the source of freely chosen action. Next, Chapter 8 examines hope and hard determinism: the view that free choice is non-existent because it is incompatible with determinism. I explore the possibility of hope in a universe without free choice. I conclude that hope would retain a central place in human existence, even should free choice not exist. Finally, Chapter 9 concludes with the implications of hope for human beings as freely acting agents.
Book Reviews by Richard P Swinney
Environmental Values, 2023
'The possibility of hope is now the central concern of our time' (p. 1). So begins John Foster's ... more 'The possibility of hope is now the central concern of our time' (p. 1). So begins John Foster's book. Hope is the central question of our time, according to the author, because of the unprecedented global emergency of the climate crisis. Given the climate crisis, can there be any hope for the future of humankind? Foster answers 'yes,' but only on condition that hope for the future is realistic, not merely wishful thinking.
Philosophy and Theory in Higher Education, 2022
A review of, Maxwell, N. 2021. The World in Crisis—And What to Do About It: A Revolution for Thou... more A review of, Maxwell, N. 2021. The World in Crisis—And What to Do About It: A Revolution for Thought and Action. Singapore, MY: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
Papers by Richard P Swinney
Environmental Values, Apr 1, 2023
Philosophy and Theory in Higher Education
In his 2021 book, The World in Crisis – And What to Do About It, Nicholas Maxwell presents a sust... more In his 2021 book, The World in Crisis – And What to Do About It, Nicholas Maxwell presents a sustained critique of the role universities have played in exacerbating the contemporary world crisis. My reading of The World in Crisis is Marcelian, which is at once both concrete and anti-abstractionist. The reading is concrete inasmuch as it is based on existentially lived human experience, and its points-of-departure are the everyday situations in which this living experience unfolds. The reading is anti-abstractionist inasmuch as it is neither based on thought-in-general (pure or absolute thought, or denken Überhaupt in German) nor are its points-of-departure first principles or clear and self-evident ideas.
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Thesis Chapters by Richard P Swinney
The dissertation falls into two Parts, comprising nine Chapters. Part I is propaedeutic, and introduces the central concepts in the philosophy of hope. Chapter 1 discusses the phenomena of belief and desire as necessary conditions of the experience of hope, and critically appraises the belief-desire thesis: the view that belief in conjunction with desire forms a sufficient condition for hope to be experienced. Chapter 2 discusses human agency in relation to hope. I propose intention as a further necessary condition of hope. Chapter 3 distinguishes between ordinary hope and fundamental hope, in terms of the belief and desire respective to each. Chapter 4 investigates the ontological presuppositions of the experience of human hope, laying stress on the finitude of human existence. Lastly, Chapter 5 counters and refutes scepticism of hope.
Part II discusses human hope in relation to freely chosen action, using the insights gained from Part I. Chapter 6 examines hope and libertarian conceptions of free choice. Libertarianism is the view that human beings have the capacity to freely choose their actions in a universe of alternative possibilities. I argue that the experience of human hope is co-articulate with the libertarian views of, firstly, “simple indeterminism,” and, secondly, “event-causal libertarianism”. My contention is that, in the aforementioned libertarian frameworks, fundamental hope is the source of free action, and that ordinary hope is the instrument of free choice. Chapter 7 examines hope in relation to compatibilist conceptions of free choice. Here, I consider the question of the compatibility of hope and determinism, the view that there is only one possible future course of events. I conclude that the experience of hope is compatible with a deterministic view of the universe. Given the compatibility of hope and determinism, I argue that, even in a compatibilist setting, hope remains the source of freely chosen action. Next, Chapter 8 examines hope and hard determinism: the view that free choice is non-existent because it is incompatible with determinism. I explore the possibility of hope in a universe without free choice. I conclude that hope would retain a central place in human existence, even should free choice not exist. Finally, Chapter 9 concludes with the implications of hope for human beings as freely acting agents.
Book Reviews by Richard P Swinney
Papers by Richard P Swinney
The dissertation falls into two Parts, comprising nine Chapters. Part I is propaedeutic, and introduces the central concepts in the philosophy of hope. Chapter 1 discusses the phenomena of belief and desire as necessary conditions of the experience of hope, and critically appraises the belief-desire thesis: the view that belief in conjunction with desire forms a sufficient condition for hope to be experienced. Chapter 2 discusses human agency in relation to hope. I propose intention as a further necessary condition of hope. Chapter 3 distinguishes between ordinary hope and fundamental hope, in terms of the belief and desire respective to each. Chapter 4 investigates the ontological presuppositions of the experience of human hope, laying stress on the finitude of human existence. Lastly, Chapter 5 counters and refutes scepticism of hope.
Part II discusses human hope in relation to freely chosen action, using the insights gained from Part I. Chapter 6 examines hope and libertarian conceptions of free choice. Libertarianism is the view that human beings have the capacity to freely choose their actions in a universe of alternative possibilities. I argue that the experience of human hope is co-articulate with the libertarian views of, firstly, “simple indeterminism,” and, secondly, “event-causal libertarianism”. My contention is that, in the aforementioned libertarian frameworks, fundamental hope is the source of free action, and that ordinary hope is the instrument of free choice. Chapter 7 examines hope in relation to compatibilist conceptions of free choice. Here, I consider the question of the compatibility of hope and determinism, the view that there is only one possible future course of events. I conclude that the experience of hope is compatible with a deterministic view of the universe. Given the compatibility of hope and determinism, I argue that, even in a compatibilist setting, hope remains the source of freely chosen action. Next, Chapter 8 examines hope and hard determinism: the view that free choice is non-existent because it is incompatible with determinism. I explore the possibility of hope in a universe without free choice. I conclude that hope would retain a central place in human existence, even should free choice not exist. Finally, Chapter 9 concludes with the implications of hope for human beings as freely acting agents.