

W. James' defence of free will
a step toward a paradigm shift
pp. 139-146
in: Rosaria Egidi (ed), In search of a new humanism, Berlin, Springer, 1999Abstract
A prominent feature of von Wright's action theory is its study of the logical grammar of determinism. Its general outcome is the emancipation of the discussion about human freedom from traditional epistemological and ontological approaches. I would like to show here that William James's defence of free will reflects a similar aspect, notwithstanding the different theoretical and methodological frameworks of his own and von Wright's thought.