Determined. Life Without Free Will
Determined. Life Without Free Will
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Author
Author
Robert Sapolsky / Роберт Сапольски
Dimension
Dimension
156x240mm (6,1'x9,4')
ISBN
ISBN
9781847925534
Format
Format
Hardcover
Language
Language
English
Page Count
Page Count
528
Publisher
Publisher
Bodley Head
Year of book publication
Year of book publication
2023
Determined. Life Without Free Will
One of the world's greatest scientists of human behaviour shows that free will does not exist - and challenges us to rethink the very notion of choice, identity, responsibility, justice, morality and how we live together.
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.
Determined confronts us with our true nature: who and what we are is biology and nothing more. Disturbing and liberating in equal measure, it explores the far-reaching implications for society of accepting this reality. Monumentally difficult as it may be, the reward will be a far more just and humane world.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Author:Robert Sapolsky - Роберт Сапольски
Publisher:Bodley Head
Language:English
Publication Date:2023
Number of pages:528 pst
Format:Hardcover
Width:156 mm / 6,1'
Height:240 mm / 9,4'
Weight:610 g
ISBN:9781847925534