Philosophical Preliminaries

What is “a will” in the first place? And what positions have been taken in the past on free will? This chapter discusses important basics in the field of philosophy and psychology. In particular, we will understand that in the investigation of humans as cultural beings, the conceptual and social influences on our views is of greater importance than, say, in the research of atoms. Further examples illustrate the far-reaching consequences philosophical views can have in society—up to the extreme case where even blood is shed.