These compatibilists hold that there is freedom in an action even though doing another action is impossible because the freedom comes from the ability to choose. In other words, I can be in control of my action even though it is impossible for me to do otherwise because there is a difference between ability and possibility. While there is no possibility of me choosing a different action than the one I will choose, I have the ability to choose any action I want to choose, therefore I am free. Compatibilists and determinists differ on the distinction between the possibility that you do something and the ability that you do it. Also, compatibilists bring in reason to our actions. They assert that I am in control of my actions if and only if I do an action because I want to do it. The fact that I want to do something because I am acting on a reason to do it means that I am free in doing what I choose and want to do. This differs from Billy’s conclusion that we perform an action because we are pre-determined to perform it. Rather, compatibilists say that we are doing our actions because we want to do them and we do not do anything else because not only do we not want to do anything else, but we also do not reason to do anything else. We only want to do what we actually do because we reason to do it. Therefore, we are free because we are able to do otherwise if and only if we tried to
These compatibilists hold that there is freedom in an action even though doing another action is impossible because the freedom comes from the ability to choose. In other words, I can be in control of my action even though it is impossible for me to do otherwise because there is a difference between ability and possibility. While there is no possibility of me choosing a different action than the one I will choose, I have the ability to choose any action I want to choose, therefore I am free. Compatibilists and determinists differ on the distinction between the possibility that you do something and the ability that you do it. Also, compatibilists bring in reason to our actions. They assert that I am in control of my actions if and only if I do an action because I want to do it. The fact that I want to do something because I am acting on a reason to do it means that I am free in doing what I choose and want to do. This differs from Billy’s conclusion that we perform an action because we are pre-determined to perform it. Rather, compatibilists say that we are doing our actions because we want to do them and we do not do anything else because not only do we not want to do anything else, but we also do not reason to do anything else. We only want to do what we actually do because we reason to do it. Therefore, we are free because we are able to do otherwise if and only if we tried to