Publication details
Wittgenstein on the “Alien Will” : A Study of Compatibilism and Divine Influence
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Religions |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://www.mdpi.com/3100598 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121567 |
| Keywords | Wittgenstein; alien will; God; happiness; modality; pre-emptive compatibilism |
| Attached files | |
| Description | In this article, I delve into Wittgenstein’s early manuscripts to examine the idea of an “alien will”, which may have been inspired by Schopenhauer and Weininger. By contrast with other interpretations, I treat this notion not as a metaphor but as the fundamental idea that the world is independent of an individual’s will and appears instead to be influenced by a quasi-divine, alien will. This alien will, distinct from personal will, could either coincide or conflict with an individual subject’s will, affecting their happiness. I argue that this (dis)agreement involves the modal properties of objects rather than being a matter of factual consistency. Ultimately, I position Wittgenstein’s views as a form of pre-emptive compatibilism, according to which divine will shapes hu-man conditions without compromising free will. This contributes a significant perspective to debates in the philosophy of religion. |