Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will Hardcover – October 17, 2023

I gave this book five stars because it was very well researched and explained. Most people should be able to understand. Though it is helpful to have some general knowledge of the areas discussed.Actually there is no such thing as “free”. If somebody gives you something they didn’t produce it out of nothing. If it were a physical object it had to be produced by Nature or synthesized or manufactured. These processes cost time (evolution, natural process, resource investment, etc.), energy, and if it was produced by any human involvement, cost money at some aspect of the process. If someone gives you a compliment it was not free because, for one thing, it cost money to keep that person alive, because they or someone had to pay for their food, shelter, health insurance, education, etc. Nothing is truly “free”, The notion that there’s ”free will” is misleading. Free will is not an isolated attribute. We do not live in a vacuum reality therefore there is nothing that isn’t influenced or affected by something else. Universal causation is the proposition that everything in the universe has a cause and is thus an effect of that cause. Will is basically our faculty of wishing, choosing, desiring, or intending to do or not do an act. Making a choice or decision involves drawing upon all your memories, experiences, preferences, biased point of view or beliefs, etc. Your brain utilizes both unconscious and conscious processes in order to make decisions. There is no separate isolated process of how your brain works in making a decision. There is no independent ”will” process that is free of your brain. Your brain is part of your body, and your body and mind are part of the environment in which it is located. Your mind set is affected by many factors, for instance, hunger, emotions, health condition, social pressures, memories, experiences, etc.Yet, our decision-making process can be changed by undertaking a process of unlearning the “negative” in our psychological construct with “positive” influences. Though this may take additional support from others, such as, professional guidance, we do not have to be “doomed” by the preexisting determined influences of our past. But it does take determined effort to want to change and seek out a path of introspection and self-realization to be able to make better positive decisions. Sometimes it takes external intervention on part of family, friends, or professionals. We are social beings and do not accomplish difficult task in a vacuum.As this book points out very clearly, to know what we all are up against in our determined dynamic reality is key to our self-awareness in exercising better choices. Part of this realization is that nobody truly has “free will”. We all have been shaped and molded by our Evolutionary and Nurture history. Moreover, daily we are being bombarded by negative propaganda and deliberate misinformation. It all affects our decision-making environment (psychology).It is my opinion that this book is an excellent investment of time on the path to self-understanding.

A lifetime of success, especially when hard-won through grit and sacrifice, is rewarded with personal pride and the cheers of our meritocracy. A squandered life is riddled with shame, rejection, and punishment. This is justice, and perhaps it is also karma.Or is it?Knowing well our differences, how can we also claim to be equally prepared for our world's hard choices? Our own preparedness varies daily with moods and circumstances; the impact of our environment is undeniable. What about the events of last week? Or childhood, or our genes? The society we were born into? Do these influence our behavior? How can we call ourselves free agents, when we are products of molding processes we cannot control? And if we are not free, how can we be responsible? Will the world fall apart if we're not?In this book, neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky conducts a thorough scientific, philosophical, and social investigation of "free will". He walks us through every step of decision-making at a neuronal and molecular level - complete with a deep dive into the physics of quantum indeterminacy, chaos, and emergent complexity - and his conclusion is that we choose as freely as tornadoes (not fully predictable, but fully determined). "While it sure may seem at times that we are free [to] do as we intend, we are never free to intend what we intend." I imagine the nineteenth century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer nodding his head in agreement.But if we are not free, we are not responsible. If we believe this, won't our world collapse into mayhem? As Sapolsky puts it: "Will we run amok?" And the answer his research points to, though not absolutely convincing, seems to be "no".And this is where the treasure of the book lies, because in a world without free will, rational thought compels us toward a particular worldview — one that mirrors the ideals of spiritual thinkers throughout history: "to view humans without judgment or the belief that anyone deserves anything special, to live without a capacity for hatred or entitlement."What about justice? In a judgment-free world, retribution and punishment are buried. Quarantine and empathetic constraints grow to replace them. No more convincing people who are suffering to also hate themselves. Merit becomes a success of the society, not the individual, and likewise with its opposite. Empathy and humility replace egoism and indifference.It turns out that when we stop chasing the mirage of freedom, we find meaning all around us.My only major complaint about this book is there are no turtles on the cover, but don't let that stop you. Read it, look down, and thank your turtles for getting you here.