DEKART I FORMULACIJE SLOBODNE VOLJE
DESCARTES AND THE FORMULATIONS OF FREE WILL

Summary/Abstract: Based on certain places in Descartes’ writings, regarding the notion of “free will”, it seems that Descartes may be interpreted as both a compatibilist and libertarian. Firstly, we claim that it is impossible to describe Descartes as a compatibilist, and the consequence of that proposition is that that it is impossible for him to be both a compatibilist and libertarian. By referring to Meditations, Passions of the Soul, Principles and Letters, we will show that Descartes is not a compatibilist, rather that he is a libertarian, since he places free will in an incompatible relation with determinism by allowing free will not to be restrained by anything, which leaves the “alternative possibilities” open. Afterwards we will respond to possible objections, out of which the main one will be related to determinism.

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