Single Idea 7814

[catalogued under 22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / g. Moral responsibility]

Full Idea

Epicurus was responsible for the innovatory recognition that the question of the will's freedom is central to ethics.

Gist of Idea

It was Epicurus who made the question of the will's freedom central to ethics

Source

report of Epicurus (fragments/reports [c.289 BCE]) by A.C. Grayling - What is Good? Ch.3

Book Reference

Grayling,A.C.: 'What is Good? The Best Way to Live' [Phoenix 2003], p.48


A Reaction

Compare Ideas 7672 and 6018. Obviously ethical action needs freedom, but the idea of a 'free will' is quite different. It is a fiction, created to give some sort of arrogant ultimate responsibility to our actions, like God.

Related Ideas

Idea 7672 The free will problem was invented by the Stoics [Stoic school, by Berlin]

Idea 6018 Epicurus was the first to see the free will problem, and he was a libertarian [Epicurus, by Long/Sedley]