Harry Frankfurt

American philosopher

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July 23, 2026

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Harry Frankfurt was an American philosopher known for his work on free will and moral responsibility. He challenged the traditional view that the ability to do otherwise is necessary for free agency, proposing that freedom is more about identifying with one's desires.12

Frankfurt's influential "Frankfurt-style" counterexample illustrated that a person can act freely even if they could not have acted otherwise, as long as their actions stem from their own will and are not coerced. He also developed hierarchical accounts of autonomy, suggesting that true autonomy involves not just having desires but also endorsing those desires. His work has significantly influenced contemporary debates in ethics and philosophy of mind.12

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autonomy
Millian and hierarchical accounts of autonomy
…introduced by the American philosopher Harry Frankfurt in his seminal paper “Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person” (1971).
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…introduced by the American philosopher Harry Frankfurt in his seminal paper “Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person” (1971).
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free will and moral responsibility
Contemporary compatibilism
…Responsibility” (1969), the American philosopher Harry Frankfurt questioned whether the ability to do otherwise is truly necessary for freedom. Suppose that John is on his way to a voting booth and is undecided about whether to vote for candidate A or candidate B. Unbeknownst to him, an evil neuroscientist has…
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…Responsibility” (1969), the American philosopher Harry Frankfurt questioned whether the ability to do otherwise is truly necessary for freedom. Suppose that John is on his way to a voting booth and is undecided about whether to vote for candidate A or candidate B. Unbeknownst to him, an evil neuroscientist has…
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free will
…so), and the American philosopher Harry Frankfurt (born 1929), who has argued that acting freely amounts to identifying with or approving of one’s own desires (even if those desires are such that one cannot help but act on them).
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…so), and the American philosopher Harry Frankfurt (born 1929), who has argued that acting freely amounts to identifying with or approving of one’s own desires (even if those desires are such that one cannot help but act on them).
Read More