more from Gottfried Leibniz

Single Idea 19367

[catalogued under 16. Persons / F. Free Will / 5. Against Free Will]

Full Idea

As for volition itself, to say that it is the object of free will is incorrect. We will to act, strictly speaking, and we do not will to will, else we should still say we will to have the will to will, and that would go on to infinity.

Gist of Idea

Saying we must will whatever we decide to will leads to an infinite regress

Source

Gottfried Leibniz (The Theodicy [1710], p.151), quoted by Franklin Perkins - Leibniz: Guide for the Perplexed 4.IV

Book Reference

Perkins,Franklin: 'Leibniz: Guide for the Perplexed' [Continuum 2007], p.156


A Reaction

This strikes me as an elementary difficulty which most fans of free will appear to evade. Thoughts just arise in us, and some of them are volitions. We can say there is then a 'gap' (Searle) where we choose, but what happens in the gap?