Abstract

This essay has two primary theses: (1) we ought to desire libertarian free will if we want to be as good as we can possibly be, and (2) we can be as good as we can possibly be only if we possess libertarian free will. A libertarian free being, in virtue of being able to refrain from evil under certain epistemic conditions, has access to an order of goodness higher than his determined counterpart could possibly have. Libertarian freedom, therefore, is preferable to compatibilist free will mainly in virtue of its role in the making of optimally good people.