Positive Importance of Illusion

Abstract At various stages of previous discussion, lacunas have been revealed which ‘demand’ something like illusion. Perhaps the idea that illusion may need to play a central role in our self-understanding and social order in the free will context is by now expected. In this, the central chapter of the book, we set out to chart the illusionistic situation. We shall see how illusion is useful because of the absence of libertarian free will and because of the contrariety of the partial insights of compatibilism and hard ““““’““’ we shall see that illusion is present, and why it would not be a good thing if it were dissipated. We are fortunate in being imbued with illusion because, I claim, we cannot function well with a complete realization of the truth on the free will issue. Both the nature of this truth and pragmatic considerations following from human weaknesses will be seen to contribute to this conclusion. Illusion helps maintain, and in part even creates, crucial aspects of our moral and personal reality.