Saul Smilansky presents an original treatment of the problem of free will, which lies at the heart of morality and human self-understanding. He maintains that we have most of the resources we need for a proper understanding of the problem; and the key to it is the role played by illusion. The major traditional philosophical approaches are inadequate, Smilansky argues: their partial insights need to be integrated into a hybrid view, which he calls Fundamental Dualism. Common views about justice, responsibility, human worth, and related notions are radically misguided, and the absurd looms large. We do, however, find some justification for enlightened moral views, and grounding for some of our most cherished views of human nature. The bold and perhaps disturbing claim of Free Will and Illusion is that we could not live adequately with a complete awareness of the truth about human freedom: illusion lies at the centre of the human condition. The necessity of illusion is seen to follow from the basic elements of the free will issue, helping keep our moral and psychological worlds intact. Smilansky offers the challenge of recognizing the centrality of illusion and trying to free ourselves to some extent from it; this is not only a philosophical challenge, but a moral and psychological one as well.

About the Author
Saul Smilanksy is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Haifa, Israel.

Reviews
We should recognize the interest and power of Smilansky's project (and achievement) integrating the concern with the possibility of (genuine) agency into the concerns of applied philosophy. * Graham McFee, Res Publica *
'Free Will and Illusion is a large, ambitious, and thoughtful book which takes the debate in new directions, while also illuminating more traditional puzzles Smilansky devotes considerable space to a subtle and thorough exploration of the role of illusion in our views about free will A distinctive and helpful feature of Smilansky's approach is to widen the scope of free will to include issues in 'distributive' as well as 'retributive' justice.' * John Martin Fischer, Times Literary Supplement *
Review from previous edition I enjoyed this book. ... Smilansky shows a remarkable breadth of learning and an admirable ability to address what needs addressing without engaging in make-work projects. * Richard Double, Mind *



Book Information
ISBN 9780199252596
Author Saul Smilansky
Format Paperback
Page Count 344
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 534g
Dimensions(mm) 233mm * 156mm * 19mm