The issue of free-will is perhaps the most fundamental question in Philosophy. We hold ourselves and others accountable for our various successes and mishaps, yet determinists hold that we aren’t in control of our own actions. How can we make sense of this issue? Galen Strawson argues that whilst free will is impossible, we nonetheless feel compelled to hold on to our intuitions about moral responsibility.

You arrive at a bakery. It’s the evening of a national holiday. You want to buy a cake with your last 10 dollars to round off the preparations you’ve already made. There’s only one thing left in the store — a 10-dollar cake.