Sunday, June 16, 2019

Material Causality, Categorical Imperative, Eternal Recurrence

Distinguishable are: 1. Free Will--Volition that is not the effect of a prior external cause; 2. Freeing Will--Volition that seeks liberation from some condition; 3. Freed Will--Free Will that has resulted from Freeing Will. #1 is the concept that is involved in the traditional Free Will vs. Determinism debate.  #2 is, as been previously discussed, an instance of Material Causality.  So, #3 is Free Will that has resulted from Material Causality.  Now, the distinctions can be applied to two important concepts of Modern Philosophy.  For, Kant's Fundamental Principle of Pure Practical Reason, aka The Categorical Imperative, is an example of a formula of a Freeing Will that can liberate Volition from heteronomous influences, facilitating a freedom to choose, e. g. between false promising and refraining from false promising.  Similarly, Nietzsche's Eternal Recurrence is a formulation which when affirmed can liberate Volition from Ressentiment, to function creatively.  Both are examples of Material Causality, and, when recognized as such, can be more clearly distinguished from the Freed Will that results.  Thus, Kant's distinction between 'Wille' and 'Willkur' is that between Freeing Will and Freed Will, as is the distinction between Affirming Eternal Recurrence and Will to Power in Nietzsche's doctrine.

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