Yes, we have free will. No, we absolutely do not.
A volley of new insights reignites the debate over whether our choices are ever truly our own. You ’ re thirsty so you reach for a glass of water. It ’ s either a freely chosen action or the inevitable result of the laws of nature, depending on who you ask. Do we have free will? The question is ancient — and vexing. Everyone seems to have pondered it, and many seem quite certain of the answer, which is typically either “ yes ” or “ absolutely not. ” One scientist in the “ absolutely not ” camp is Robert Sapolsky . In his new book, Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will , the primatologist and Stanford professor of neurology spells out why we can ’ t possibly have free will. Why do we behave one way and not another? Why do we choose Brand A over Brand B, or vote for Candidate X over Candidate Y? Not because we have free will, but because every act and thought are the product of “ cumulative biological and environmental luck. ” Sapolsky tells readers that th...