ABSTRACT
TheChallengeofCompatibilism "Compatibilism"issocalledbecauseitisthetheorythatfreedom anddeterminismarecompatiblewithoneanother.Thisisnotsimplytheclaimthatitispossiblefortheretobefreeactionsand causallydeterminedactionsthatcoexistwithinasinglesystemin thewaythatone'sfreedecisiontoswingabaseballbatcancoexist withthephysicalforcesthatdeterminetheball'strajectoryonceit hasleftthebat.Thattherecanbetwodifferenteventswhereone oftheseeventsisafreeactionandtheotheriscausallydetermined mightbecalledthecoexistencethesisandisapointthatwouldbe grantedbyalllibertarians.Thecompatibilityassertedbythe compatibilistisfarmoredramaticaclaimthanthatinvolvedin thecoexistencethesis.Compatibilismisthetheorythatoneand thesameactioncanbebothfreeandcausallydeterminedbyprior events.Andthecompatibilistisalsonotplayingthegameofsayingthatafreeactiscausedbyone'schoicebutnonethelessfree becausethechoicewasnotitselfcausallydetermined.Thesense ofdeterminismconcededbycompatibilismisthatwhichwasdefinedintheprecedingsection.Compatibilismthusmaintainsthat one'schoicetofreelyperformsomeactionwasirretrievablyin thecardsatanypasttimeyouwanttopick,includingtimeslong beforeoneevenexisted.1
