Summary of Determined By Robert M. Sapolsky: A Science of Life without Free Will

By Willie M. Joseph

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Summary of Determined By Robert M. Sapolsky: A Science of Life without Free Will

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Robert Sapolsky, a bestselling behavioral scientist, presents a compelling argument against free will in his book Determined. He argues that while we may not fully comprehend the nature-nurture relationship that underlies human behavior, it does not necessarily mean it does not exist. Sapolsky combines the science and philosophy of decision-making to argue that consciousness is a complex web of reason, emotion, and stimulus-response. He argues that while acknowledging our lack of free will may be challenging, it will not lead to anarchy or existential malaise but rather create a more humane world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Willie M. Joseph
• Release date: Oct 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223345299

Willie M. Joseph

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Turtles All the Way Down

In college, an anecdote was shared about a professor who claimed that the world was on the back of a turtle. The author argues that this story is more accurate than the idea that there is a turtle floating in the air. The science of human behavior shows that behaviors occur because something that preceded them caused it to happen. This determinism is not causeless, but rather due to the biology and environment over which we had no control.

The author argues that every aspect of behavior has deterministic, prior causes, and that observing a behavior can answer why it occurred. This includes the action of neurons in the brain, hormones in circulation, experience and environment, and the development of a key brain region during adolescence. Factors such as socialization, acculturation, childhood experiences, genes, and cultural influences all contribute to the formation of our brain.

Culture, ecological factors, and evolutionary pressures also influence our behavior. We are nothing more or less than the cumulative biological and environmental luck that has brought us to any moment. As the author states, we are nothing more or less than the cumulative biological and environmental luck, over which we had no control, that has brought us to any moment.

Behavior can be influenced by various factors, such as psychiatric or neurological problems, learning differences, and stress. These aspects are considered when determining if some people have less self-control and capacity to freely choose their actions than average. However, the idea of having no free will is not universally accepted. This belief is supported by various fields, including philosophy, legal thought, psychology, and neuroscience.

People believe in free will when it matters, with philosophers, lawyers, judges, jurors, educators, parents, and candlestick makers believing in it. Research shows that preschool kids already have a robust belief in a recognizable version of free will, and this belief is widespread among a wide variety of cultures.

The book aims to convince readers that there is no free will or much less free will than generally assumed when it really matters. It will examine the arguments for free will from the perspectives of philosophy, legal thought, psychology, and neuroscience. The author argues that these views are often mistaken due to myopia, focusing solely on one sliver of the biology of behavior, faulty logic, unawareness, misinterpretation of the science underlying behavior, and emotional reasons reflecting the lack of free will.

The author's intellectual makeup includes being a generalist, a neurobiologist, and studying various fields related to behavior. They have spent time working with sociologists, psychiatrists, and public defender offices on murder trials, which has made them particularly prone toward deciding that free will doesn't exist.

In conclusion, while some people may believe in free will, it is essential to recognize that our actions are influenced by various factors and that we all have less control over our actions than we think.

The book explores the concept of free will and its implications, focusing on the biological framework that rejects it. It argues that examining different fields like neuroscience, endocrinology, behavioral economics, genetics, criminology, ecology, child development, or evolutionary biology leaves room for deciding that biology and free will can coexist. However, when considering all relevant scientific results, there is no room for free will. This is because these disciplines are interlinked and constitute the same ultimate body of knowledge.

The author, who hasn't believed in free will since adolescence, believes it's a moral imperative to view humans without judgment or entitlement. The book's goal is to do this both individually and societally, considering scientific insights about how we might dispensing with free-will belief and reviewing historical circumstances that demonstrate radical changes we'd need to make in our thinking and feeling.

There are four basic styles of views held by people writing about free will:

1. The world is deterministic and there's no free will. In this view, if the former is the case, the latter must be as well; determinism and free will are not compatible.

2. The world is deterministic and there is free will. This view is based on the immutability and relentlessness of the laws of nature, emphasizing that everything important in the world runs on randomness.

3. The world is not deterministic and there's free will. This view opens a door for free-will belief, but it's rare. The book's intentionally ambiguous title reflects these two halves, discussing the science of why there is no free will and how we might best live once we accept that.

The relationship between free will and moral responsibility is a complex topic, with various views on the matter. Some view that there is no free will, and thus holding people morally responsible for their actions is wrong, while others believe that it is okay to hold people morally responsible. This can lead to philosophical concepts like partial free will, situational free will, or free will only when it matters or only when it doesn't.

The author aims to simplify these concepts by focusing on gradations between yes and no, as interesting things in the biology of behavior are often on continua. They suggest merging determinism/free will and free will/moral responsibility, arguing that because the world is deterministic, there can't be free will, and thus holding people morally responsible for their actions is not okay. This incompatibilism is contrasted with the compatibilist view that while the world is deterministic, there is still free will, and thus holding people morally responsible for their actions is just.

A thought experiment involving Phineas Gage, a worker at a construction site in Vermont, highlights the importance of understanding the unique function of the frontal cortex. Compatibilityist philosophers may argue that there is still free will, but they must grapple with the biology of who we are and whether it's worth trying to counter their free-will belief.

In conclusion, the relationship between free will and moral responsibility is complex and multifaceted, with different perspectives on the matter. Understanding the biology of who we are and the implications of these views can help shape our understanding