Grice on liberum arbitrium

--- By J. L. Speranza
------ for the Grice Club.

--- GRICE NOTED THAT THE IDEA BY KANT of a realm of ends is best illustrated by the expression, 'sugar-free'. Freedom applies to persons, so how can it apply to the lack of sugar?

"Perhaps we should not be misled by grammar here." "Voluntarily" does just as bad.

On p.8 of Studies, Grice quotes from Austin. Austin uttered:

"I yawned voluntarily."

Is this correct?

The OED notes that 'voluntarily' has a few usages.

USAGE 1

1. Of one's own free will or accord
2. without compulsion, constraint, or undue influence by others
3. freely, willingly. In very frequent use from c 1530.

CITATIONS

1374 Chaucer Boeth. iii. pr. xii. (1868) 103

Ther may no man douten, that thei ne ben gouerned uoluntariely.

1432 tr. Higden (Rolls) III. 163

Wherefore sche thougjhte..men wolde haue seide that sche consente to hym
voluntarily.

1440 Dk. Gloucester Manifesto in Rymer Foedera (1710) X. 766/2

To see the Worship, that God soe long hath eured hym with..shuld so
voluntarily be put in likelyhed of total Perdition.

1513 Fabyan Chron. vii. (1811) 299

Kyng Richarde..voluntaryly tooke vppon hym, and promysed to warre vpon
Crystis enemyes.

1560 Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 196 b,

Duke Maurice of Saxonye served in thys warre voluntarily.

1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 84

If the other churches..will voluntarily impart any thing to the supplie of
his necessities.

1610 Women Saints (1886) 37

To these mariages, albeit with a king, she was rather haled perforce than
voluntarilie assenting.

1663 Bp. Patrick Parab. Pilgr. xiii. (1687) 87

At last he voluntarily, and without any compulsion but that of his Love,
died upon a Cross.

1711 Steele Spect. No. 149 p.7

The happy Marriage is, where two Persons meet and voluntarily make Choice
of each other.

1754 Edwards Freed. Will ii. ix. 76

When Men act voluntarily, and do what they please, then they do what
appears most agreable to them.

1808 Pike Sources Mississ. iii. 215,

I know you do not go voluntarily, but I will give you a certificate..of my
having obliged you to march.

1858 Masson Milton I. 605

Milton..either voluntarily offered a contribution, or was invited to send
one.

1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 160

Him who does no evil, voluntarily I praise and love.


----

b Said of animals.
---- and thus cfr. Flew, Paradigm-Case Argument:


CITATIONS.

1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts 161

Euery night..an assembly of dogs..meete
voluntarily at an appointed houre, for the custody of the Temple. 1607
Topsell Four-f. Beasts 669 They vse to harden their ribs by rubbing them
voluntarily vppon Trees.

1831 Youatt Horse iv. 55

It..does sometimes
happen, that..the horse..voluntarily presses on, until..he falls and dies.

USAGE 2

1. Without other determining force than natural character or tendency

2. naturally, spontaneously.

CITATIONS:


1562 Bullein Bulwarke, Sicke Men (1579) 21

The first of them is naturall,
as when men do voluntarily sweat, without force of medicine.

1575 Turberv.
Faulconrie 318

They plume themselues oftentimes, yea and the pendant
feathers of their thighes..fal off voluntarily.

1613 Purchas Pilgrimage iv.
i. 291

The Earth voluntarily and liberally yeeldeth her store.

1700 C.
Nesse Antid. Armin. (1827) 68 Man being left to the mutability of his own
will..would voluntarily incline to evil.

USAGE 3

1. At will, at pleasure
2. extempore.

CITATIONS:

1676 T. Mace Mus. Mon. Pref., The Hints and Directions which I have given,
as towards the Procuring of Invention, or Playing Voluntarily.

---- So Grice's conclude,

"I yawn" seems enough.

Yawn is usually done INVOLUNTARILY. The addition of 'voluntarily' thus does a trick. But the implicature of 'voluntarily' is detached in other verbs. Grice does not expand, but I suggest, 'burp'.