CHAPTEE XIII 



VOLITION AND FREE-WILL 



THE question of the existence of free-will in man is 

 so important that I feel obliged to examine it more 

 fully than I could in the last chapter. The present 

 position of the question, from the determinist side, 

 has been admirably and lucidly stated by Mr. W. H. 

 Mallock in the " Fortnightly Review " for February, 

 1902, and I will take his summary as a starting 

 point. 



According to Mr. Mallock the first argument of the 

 determinists is a theological one. It is : If God 

 knows everything future and past man cannot be 

 free to act. On this I will only remark that it is 

 directly opposed by the statement of the libertarian 

 that : If man has no freedom of will he cannot be 

 responsible for his actions ; and consequently there 

 can be no such things as morality and ethical evolu- 

 tion. I leave the reader to make his own choice. 

 But as ethical evolution is a proved fact I have, 

 myself, no hesitation in making up my mind about 

 it. 



The second argument is psychological, and is thus 

 stated : Will is determined by the strongest motive , 

 and motive is determined by the character and tem- 

 perament with which each individual is endowed at 



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