From: P
Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2019 10:56 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Brain Scans for Government Officials
Hi Walter,
With all the talk about murder and attempted murder, my thoughts naturally turned to those most prolific murderers in government who are immune from prosecution. As PET Scans of the brain can detect psychopathy, maybe a medical organization could scan individuals such as prospective generals and candidates for congress and cabinet. That could be a way to screen out some of the most dangerous people, to somewhat lessen the damage done by government. What do you think? In Liberty, P
From: Walter Block [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, April 26, 2019 9:25 AM
To: P
Subject: RE: Brain Scans for Government Officials
Dear P:
I think the free will position is correct. In my view, we can overcome what our pet scans say. Thus, I don’t think too much of this scheme.
Here are some readings on this:
Block, 2015; O’Connor, 1995, 2000; Ekstrom, 2018; Palmer, 2014; Taylor, 1966; Van Inwagen, 1983 ;Van Schoedlandt, et al, 2016;
Block, Walter E. 2015. “Free will, determinism, libertarianism and Austrian economics” Dialogue, Issue 3, p.1; http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/110798998/free-will-determinism-libertarianism-austrian-economics;
Ekstrom, Laura. 2018. Agency And Responsibility: Essays On The Metaphysics Of Freedom, Routledge.
O’Connor, Timothy. 1995. Agents, Causes, and Events: Essays on Indeterminism and Free Will. Oxford University Press
O’Connor, Timothy. 2000. Persons and Causes: The Metaphysics of Free Will. Oxford University Press
Palmer, David, ed. 2014. Libertarian Free Will: Contemporary Debates. Oxford University Press
Taylor, Richard. 1966. Action and Purpose. Prentice Hall
Van Inwagen, Peter. 1983. An Essay on Free Will. Oxford: Clarendon Press
Van Schoelandt, Chad, Ivan Jankovic and Walter E. Block. 2016. “Rejoinder on Free Will, Determinism, Libertarianism and Austrian Economics.” Dialogue, Issue 2; http://www.uni-svishtov.bg/dialog/title.asp?lang=en&title=565; http://141.164.71.80/exchange/walterblock/Inbox/RE:%20Rejoinder%20on%20Free%20Will,%20Determinism,%20Libertarianism%20and%20Austrian%20Economics.EML/1_multipart_xF8FF_2_p565__DialogueBook2eng2016_81_95.pdf/C58EA28C-18C0-4a97-9AF2-036E93DDAFB3/p565__DialogueBook2eng2016_81_95.pdf?attach=1;
http://www.uni-svishtov.bg/dialog/title.asp?title=565;
http://www.academia.edu/27719232/Rejoinder_on_Free_Will_Determinism_Libertarianism_and_Austrian_Economics
Best regards,
Walter
12:36 pm on August 19, 2019
