▁as ▁compat ibil ism . ▁ ▁John ▁Lock e ▁denied ▁that ▁the ▁phrase ▁" free ▁will " ▁made ▁any ▁sense ▁( compare ▁with ▁the ological ▁non c ogn it iv ism , ▁a ▁similar ▁st ance ▁on ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁God ). ▁He ▁also ▁took ▁the ▁view ▁that ▁the ▁truth ▁of ▁determin ism ▁was ▁irrelevant . ▁He ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁defining ▁feature ▁of ▁volunt ary ▁behavior ▁was ▁that ▁individuals ▁have ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁post p one ▁a ▁decision ▁long ▁enough ▁to ▁reflect ▁or ▁deliber ate ▁upon ▁the ▁consequences ▁of ▁a ▁choice : ▁"... ▁the ▁will ▁in ▁truth , ▁sign ifies ▁nothing ▁but ▁a ▁power , ▁or ▁ability , ▁to ▁prefer ▁or ▁choose ". ▁ ▁The ▁contemporary ▁phil os opher ▁Gal en ▁St raw son ▁agre es ▁with ▁Lock e ▁that ▁the ▁truth ▁or ▁f als ity ▁of ▁determin ism ▁is ▁irrelevant ▁to ▁the ▁problem . ▁He ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁notion ▁of ▁free ▁will ▁leads ▁to ▁an ▁infinite ▁re gress ▁and ▁is ▁therefore ▁sens eless . ▁According ▁to ▁St raw son , ▁if ▁one ▁is ▁responsible ▁for ▁what ▁one ▁does ▁in ▁a ▁given ▁situation , ▁then ▁one ▁must ▁be ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁way ▁one ▁is ▁in ▁certain ▁mental ▁respect s . ▁But ▁it ▁is ▁impossible ▁for ▁one ▁to ▁be ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁way ▁one ▁is ▁in ▁any ▁respect . ▁This ▁is ▁because ▁to ▁be ▁responsible ▁in ▁some ▁situation ▁S , ▁one ▁must ▁have ▁been ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁way ▁one ▁was ▁at ▁S − 1 . ▁To ▁be ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁way ▁one ▁was