Determined : life without free will
Sapolsky, Robert M.2024
Book
Total copies: 1
Behind every thought, action and experience there lies a chain of biological and environmental causes, stretching back from the moment a neuron fires to the dawn of our species and beyond. Nowhere in this infinite sequence is there a place where free will could play a role. Without free will, it makes no more sense to punish people for antisocial behaviour than it does to scold a car for breaking down. It is no one's fault they are poor or overweight or unsuccessful, nor do people deserve praise for their talent or hard work; 'grit' is a myth. This mechanistic view of human behaviour challenges our most powerful instincts, but history suggests that we have already made great strides toward it: where once we saw demonic possession or cowardice, for example, now we diagnose illness or trauma and offer help. This book confronts us with our true nature: who and what we are is biology and nothing more.
Main title:
Determined : life without free will / Robert M. Sapolsky.
Author:
Sapolsky, Robert M., author
Imprint:
London : Vintage, 2024.
Collation:
528 pages ; 20 cm
ISBN:
9781529920062 (pbk)
Dewey class:
123.5
Language:
English
Subject:
BRN:
737813