Case Study 1

29th May 2010: Mr David Laws, 18 days into his job as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, resigned. It had been revealed that over some nine years as an MP he had claimed something in the order of £40k as rebate on rental charges, when the landlord turned out to be his gay lover. Mr Laws explained that he thought that he had been operating within the rules and that he had wanted above all to maintain privacy over his sexuality. He accepted that he had acted wrongly and that he had been mistaken. He apologised and resigned.
Question 1: What in this suggests that Mr Laws made free choices for which he was therefore responsible?

Question 2: What evidence is there in this case that Mr Laws' actions were determined?

Question 3: On the face of it, which theory fits the case best – and why?!

Libertarianism:

Determinism:

Compatibilism: