Free will, as we commonly understand it, is an illusion.
Chemical reactions and and a complex interplay of far-flung factors shape what options come before us, argued neuroscientist-philosopher Sam Harris in his slim, sharp 2012 book Free Will.
“You can do what you decide to do,” he writes. “But you cannot decide what you will decide to do.”
The practical implications inform how to treat criminality, with a sense of sympathy for the unlucky bastards whose lives lead them to bad deeds. Strategic punishment is still possible, though, he argues: If we could incarcerate hurricanes we would, and we give justice to wild animals without calling it free will.
Below are notes for my future reference.
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