Who Are You, Really? By Joshua Rasmussen Is a MUST-READ!

Joshua Rasmussen has become one of the most important thinkers in philosophy and theology today. When he speaks, I listen; when he writes, I read! I was blessed to receive a review copy of Josh's new book: Who Are You, Really?: A Philosopher's Inquiry Into the Nature and Origin of Persons. What I love about Rasmussen's writing is that he has the rare gift of being able to take top-shelf philosophy and explain it in such a way so that those who do not have graduate training in philosophy can access these academic topics. This new book does exactly that.  J.P. Moreland agrees and on the back of the book writes: 

With fairness and rigor, Rasmussen carefully works through all the issues and arguments fundamental to his topic. Happily, he does all of this while making the book marvelously accessible. This should be a required text in all Christian colleges and seminaries, and it is a must-read for all who care about this crucial subject.

I could not agree more. 

Speaking of J.P. Moreland, those who have followed the work in which he and I are collaborating (See, An Explanation and Defense of the Free-Thinking Argument) will be especially interested in the fifth chapter of Rasmussen's book. Consider a few of my favorite quotes. 

Highlights from Chapter 5

"... the puppet's behaviors will be determined by the behaviors of other things."

Here, Rasmussen is describing what it means for a something to be determined. An event is determined if antecedent (prior) conditions are sufficient to necessitate an event. If one affirms the worldview that all things are determined (often referred to as "determinism"), then one believes that all things -- not to mention the entirety of humanity -- are determined by the behaviors of other things. 

"If you have free will, then (by definition) you are not a puppet of things outside your control."

Richard Taylor agrees with Rasmussen and wrote: “In the case of an action that is free, it must not only be such that it is caused by the agent who performs it, but also such that no antecedent conditions were sufficient for his performing just that action" (Metaphysics, 4th ed., Pg 51). Moreland and I concur and have noted the following in our paper:

We can understand libertarian freedom, then, as the ability to choose such that antecedent conditions are insufficient to causally determine or necessitate one’s choice. We have applied this definition to thinking: Libertarian freedom includes the ability to think such that antecedent conditions are insufficient to causally determine or necessitate one’s thoughts and ensuing beliefs.

Here's the point: if humans have the power to think freely in a libertarian sense, then humans are not puppets. If humans do not have the power to think freely in a libertarian sense, then humans are puppets. Indeed, the entirety of our mental activity would be forced upon us by things outside of our control. 

Speaking of "force," Rasmussen writes:

"... if there is only one path, then you are a puppet FORCED down that path" (emphasis mine).

Indeed, if antecedent (prior) conditions necessitate all things about humanity, then humans never really have alternative possibilities from which to choose. It follows, then, that things outside of human control are determining us -- forcing us -- down one path. If determinism is true, when you choose, despite the illusion to the contrary, you never select from among available alternatives.

But Rasmussen points out what follows from this worldview: 

"If the choice is not up to you, then it is not your choice."

Note Rasmussen's careful use of italics. He has highlighted the word "your" in an attempt to highlight the fact that if determinism is true, then when a person experiences sensations of choice, the reality of the situation is that these sensations merely passed through the individual. Indeed, there is an appropriate reducible paraphrase available providing an accurate account of what is really being expressed. A paraphrase that determinists -- and anyone who rejects libertarian free-thinking -- ought to use for the sake of clarity. 

The libertarian freedom fighter can rightly say that "I deliberated about P." The determinist, however, ought to use the appropriate reducible paraphrase in which the libertarian does not have access and say, "A deliberating-about-P was caused to occur in me."

The libertarian's use of “deliberated” is in the active voice and implies that she was exercising her agency and active power in performing a deliberative act. But this is not the case if determinism is true. The determinist's appropriate reducible paraphrase makes clear what is actually meant when they say "I made a choice." As Moreland and I have highlighted, the determinist is stealing from the language that is only available to the libertarian, and thus benefitting from a rhetorical mirage that keeps hidden what is actually being asserted.

"Sometimes I have the experience of selecting an option among other available alternatives."

Amen to that! We all experience the sensation of choosing from among alternative options and that each of these alternatives are not illusory, but actually available. But if our experience matches reality, then this would mean that there is more than "one path" and that determinism is false. 

The determinist who opposes libertarian freedom, however, is left with a "thin account," as Rasmussen kindly describes it, of options. He contrasts that with a "thicker account":

"On a thicker account of 'options,' options require real possibilities, not just apparent possibilities." And finally, Rasmussen indirectly summarizes the main point behind the Free-Thinking Argument Against Naturalism: "Suppose, furthermore, that these mindless states determine all your mental states. Then your conscious 'choices' would be byproducts of mindless states.""When mindless stuff is in control over everything, you are in control of nothing. So, you are a puppet."

This is the main point behind the third premise of the Free-Thinking Argument Against Naturalism. It reads: "If humans do not freely think in the libertarian sense, then humans are not epistemically responsible." This communicates the fact that if humans are not free-thinking agents, then the entirety of human mental activity -- including all thoughts and ensuing beliefs -- is determined by something or someone else. 

If something or someone else is in deterministic control over everything in your mind, then you are in control of nothing in your mind. As Moreland and I have explained, you are nothing but a passive cog, a caused cause, or a bag of beliefs (none of which is up to the bag). Or, as Rasmussen says, you are nothing but a puppet.

Merriam Webster supports Rasmussen's use of the word and says that a puppet is: "one whose acts are controlled by an outside force or influence."Some determinists try to argue that likening humanity to puppets is not relevantly analogous and an improper comparison. But if all things about a puppet are determined and controlled by something or someone else, and all things about a human -- including all mental activity -- are controlled by something or someone else, then the human is nothing more than a puppet at the mercy of outside forces. 

Ultimately, if you do not think or believe that all of your thoughts and beliefs are determined and controlled by something or someone else, then you believe that you are a libertarian free-thinker. I contend that you are a libertarian free-thinking agent whose justified beliefs align with reality. 

Finally, Rasmussen offers some of the most important words our confused culture could read today:

"When you take charge over your mind, you take charge over your inner world . . . has ripple effects . . . into your outer world."

As I often explain, "taking charge of your mind" and being in active control of your thinking is a biblical concept. The Apostle Paul teaches us to take our thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), before they take us (Colossians 2:8). If we do so, we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). Imagine the transformation of this "outer world" which would occur if enough of us took Paul's teachings (as well as Joshua Rasmussen's) seriously and actively took charge of our personal "inner worlds" to attain objective truth about reality. 

Conclusion

To be sure, these beautiful words are just the tip of the iceberg. One thing is certain: you can count on seeing some Josh Rasmussen quotes in my forthcoming works. I can’t recommend this book enough.

Order Who Are You, Really? today, take charge over your mind, and as always . . . 

Stay reasonable (Isaiah 1:18),

Dr. Tim Stratton

P.S.: To view my thoughts regarding this book on YouTube, please click here.