Incompatibilism

Incompatibilism is the position that determinism is compatible with free will. For me this is a default starting position by definition: determinism means that a person's actions can be predicted, which denies that person any possibility of choice. Under determinism there are no alternatives available and no option to "do otherwise".

Since moral responsibility requires the presence of alternative choices, incompatibilism means choosing between determinism or moral responsibility.

Compatibilism is an attempt to reconcile determinism with free will. This often involves attempts redefine the meaning of terms such as freedom. Some compatibilists ignore the issue of free will and argue directly that compatibilism is compatible with moral responsibility.

I find the compatibilist positions untenable and am a hardened incompatibilist. Since I believe in the existence of free will this means that I must reject determinism.