A sharp, accessible critique of Mill’s notes on freedom and the external world.
Moral Causation: Or Notes on Mr. Mill's Notes to the Chapter on "Freedom" in the Third Edition of His "Examination of Sir W. Hamilton's Philosophy" offers a focused look at how the theory of causation and the idea of freedom clash in classic debates. The work surveys thinkers from Mill and Locke to Bain and Hamilton, weighing claims about the ego, perception, and the reality of external objects. It presents a clear, skeptical view of ideas like permanent possibilities of sensation and the non-Ego, without getting lost in jargon.
What you’ll experience
- A careful examination of how freedom and causation are argued to coexist in human action.
- Comparisons of major positions from Mill, Berkeley, Reid, Hamilton, and Bain.
- A readable defense of moral intuition and the solidity of experience amid philosophical mystery.
- Thoughtful notes on perception, reality, and the role of reason in grounding belief.
Ideal for readers of philosophy and debates on mind, action, and the nature of reality.