Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will
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- Create Date：2023-10-25 03:19:52
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Robert M. Sapolsky
- ISBN：B0BSKQ5ZDM
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Summary
One of our great behavioral scientists， the bestselling author of Behave ， plumbs the depths of the science and philosophy of decision-making to mount a devastating case against free will， an argument with profound consequences
Robert Sapolsky’s Behave ， his now classic account of why humans do good and why they do bad， pointed toward an unsettling We may not grasp the precise marriage of nature and nurture that creates the physics and chemistry at the base of human behavior， but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist。 Now， in Determined ， Sapolsky takes his argument all the way， mounting a brilliant （and in his inimitable way， delightful） full-frontal assault on the pleasant fantasy that there is some separate self telling our biology what to do。
Determined offers a marvelous synthesis of what we know about how consciousness works—the tight weave between reason and emotion and between stimulus and response in the moment and over a life。 One by one， Sapolsky tackles all the major arguments for free will and takes them out， cutting a path through the thickets of chaos and complexity science and quantum physics， as well as touching ground on some of the wilder shores of philosophy。 He shows us that the history of medicine is in no small part the history of learning that fewer and fewer things are somebody’s “fault”; for example， for centuries we thought seizures were a sign of demonic possession。 Yet， as he acknowledges， it’s very hard， and at times impossible， to uncouple from our zeal to judge others and to judge ourselves。 Sapolsky applies the new understanding of life beyond free will to some of our most essential questions around punishment， morality， and living well together。 By the end， Sapolsky argues that while living our daily lives recognizing that we have no free will is going to be monumentally difficult， doing so is not going to result in anarchy， pointlessness， and existential malaise。 Instead， it will make for a much more humane world。
Robert Sapolsky’s Behave ， his now classic account of why humans do good and why they do bad， pointed toward an unsettling We may not grasp the precise marriage of nature and nurture that creates the physics and chemistry at the base of human behavior， but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist。 Now， in Determined ， Sapolsky takes his argument all the way， mounting a brilliant （and in his inimitable way， delightful） full-frontal assault on the pleasant fantasy that there is some separate self telling our biology what to do。
Determined offers a marvelous synthesis of what we know about how consciousness works—the tight weave between reason and emotion and between stimulus and response in the moment and over a life。 One by one， Sapolsky tackles all the major arguments for free will and takes them out， cutting a path through the thickets of chaos and complexity science and quantum physics， as well as touching ground on some of the wilder shores of philosophy。 He shows us that the history of medicine is in no small part the history of learning that fewer and fewer things are somebody’s “fault”; for example， for centuries we thought seizures were a sign of demonic possession。 Yet， as he acknowledges， it’s very hard， and at times impossible， to uncouple from our zeal to judge others and to judge ourselves。 Sapolsky applies the new understanding of life beyond free will to some of our most essential questions around punishment， morality， and living well together。 By the end， Sapolsky argues that while living our daily lives recognizing that we have no free will is going to be monumentally difficult， doing so is not going to result in anarchy， pointlessness， and existential malaise。 Instead， it will make for a much more humane world。
Reviews
Katy
，
Rounded up to 5 stars because it managed to not feel like homework。
Howard Wang
，
Sapolsky is an exceptional writer and lecturer。 His engaging language makes even a 400-page book feel like a short read。 Having watched all his lectures and read his previous book， "Behave，" I was already inclined to believe in the absence of free will。 This book offers a more structured perspective on Sapolsky's views regarding the scientific reasoning behind our lack of free will。 Although it doesn't provide conclusive evidence to negate the existence of free will， as my friend often debates w Sapolsky is an exceptional writer and lecturer。 His engaging language makes even a 400-page book feel like a short read。 Having watched all his lectures and read his previous book， "Behave，" I was already inclined to believe in the absence of free will。 This book offers a more structured perspective on Sapolsky's views regarding the scientific reasoning behind our lack of free will。 Although it doesn't provide conclusive evidence to negate the existence of free will， as my friend often debates with me， it does give a glimpse into the realms of biology and neuroscience， hinting at what the future may or may not reveal。However， I did feel a tinge of disappointment as the book didn't cover everything I was hoping for。 The final chapters， which discuss solutions in a world potentially devoid of free will， were not as captivating。 I would have appreciated deeper insights into neuroscience， especially concerning how we should perceive a world that may lack free will。 Nonetheless， the book is an enlightening read。 It offers a window into neuroscience， touching upon topics like free will， consciousness， decision-making， and the role of luck in our lives。 Ultimately， it suggests that we might be mere products of our biology。 。。。more
Bejinha
，
A compelling and timely book。 At times， it delves deeply into technical details， discussing tables， cell membranes， and chemistry。 But most of the time it is fun。 From the 5th century BCE， Parmenides posited that the Earth wasn't flat， using the observation that the North Star appears lower in the sky when one travels south。 Yet， it took millennia for the majority to acknowledge the Earth's roundness。 And， according to the internet， some remain skeptical to this day。The resistance to this realit A compelling and timely book。 At times， it delves deeply into technical details， discussing tables， cell membranes， and chemistry。 But most of the time it is fun。 From the 5th century BCE， Parmenides posited that the Earth wasn't flat， using the observation that the North Star appears lower in the sky when one travels south。 Yet， it took millennia for the majority to acknowledge the Earth's roundness。 And， according to the internet， some remain skeptical to this day。The resistance to this reality is multifaceted。 Primarily， it challenges our intuitive perception – our surroundings seemingly affirm a flat Earth。 Yet， from Parmenides's observations to the iconic 1976 photograph by the Apollo 17 crew showcasing Earth in space， science consistently confirms the planet's spherical nature。An age-old illusion， discussed since the times of Heraclitus and explored by Sapolsky in this book， is humanity's belief in free will。Despite our conviction that we're architects of our daily decisions， countless external factors shape our choices:* The neural connections established in utero。* The corticosteroid and adrenaline levels in our mothers during pregnancy。* Our parents' lifestyles， stresses， and the environment we grew up in。* The events and places we encountered during our formative years。Our decisions， like delaying gratification or choosing between commitment and material desire， are influenced by our upbringing and familial worldview。Even though studies by scientists like Benjamin Libet show that decision-related brain activity predates our conscious awareness of the decision， many hold fast to the notions of free will and meritocracy， believing everyone has equal choices available。Our accomplishments feed our ego， making us believe that if we achieved something， so can others。 Yet， we overlook that our neurotransmitter levels， which influence decisions， aren't of our choosing。 We don't pick the genes inherited from our parents that significantly shape our personalities and life choices。Our cultural and familial backgrounds， pivotal in decision-making processes， weren't our choices either。 Genetic predispositions， when combined with upbringing， can manifest as variations in behavior — from extreme addictions to social habits。Contrarily， many believe that the universal laws of causality don't penetrate the human brain。 This belief is anchored in self-perception and a yearning for autonomy。 However， history and science both emphasize that our decisions， while feeling independent， are shaped by numerous uncontrollable factors。In essence， we make choices in life much like we decide digestion processes or hormone secretion: our body orchestrates it。 The concept of free will， then， remains an illusion。Acknowledging this intricate web of influences redefines our perspective on choice， responsibility， and promotes a more empathetic view towards the decisions of others。After all， the steering wheel on this roller coaster we call life isn't really in our hands。 It's best to let go and savor the journey。A few times the author tries to push his own political views like when suggesting forced quarantine for those who chose not to take the covid vaccines。 But， as the book suggests， it can be explained by him being overweight and leaning left-wing， the kind of person who was more in danger and the kind of person more inclined to use the government to restrict people's freedom。For those keen on this subject， starting with Sam Harris's short book might be a good idea。 However， Sapolsky's work offers a more comprehensive exploration and a compelling conclusion。 。。。more
Burt Reynolds
，
Great， another scientist who thinks they can answer age old metaphysical problems with contemporary empirical facts cherry picked from their own backyard。 This book is for toddlers。
Roy Kenagy
，
LARB。
Kailuo Wang
，
The main lesson is that no matter how brilliant you are， avoid writing a book on a subject that you haven't studied for years。 Sapolsky defined free will as the existence of a neuron free from physical laws。 Of course this is contradictory to the naturalist belief that the whole universe is governed by physical laws。 But when people talk about free will， they mean different things， while the definition Sapolsky gave， upon some philosophical inspection， has no practical implications and thus is u The main lesson is that no matter how brilliant you are， avoid writing a book on a subject that you haven't studied for years。 Sapolsky defined free will as the existence of a neuron free from physical laws。 Of course this is contradictory to the naturalist belief that the whole universe is governed by physical laws。 But when people talk about free will， they mean different things， while the definition Sapolsky gave， upon some philosophical inspection， has no practical implications and thus is useless or meaningless to discuss。 One simply cannot derive any practical guidance based on the non existence of the "free will" as defined by Sapolsky。 To be more specific， when we talk about morality， we do not need to be concerned with whether naturalism is real， or whether something free from physical laws exists。 Sapolsky should have noticed that there is so much linguistic nuance and complexity in the notion of "free will" that it justifies more study into the existing philosophical discussion in this area， especially post WWII。 。。。more
Keven Wang
，
Excellent range of discussion topics
Thales
，
I am a big fan of him。 I've watched many of his videos on Youtube， including his lectures。 This book tries to answer the question I always ask myself。 Does free will exist？ The short answer is no， free will does not exist。 We live in a deterministic universe and quantum mechanics does not imply free will。 I haven't finished reading this book yet， but it has been a fun and entertaining read。 I feel like he's talking in a podcast or on Youtube。 This book is relatively long， and it's "turtles all t I am a big fan of him。 I've watched many of his videos on Youtube， including his lectures。 This book tries to answer the question I always ask myself。 Does free will exist？ The short answer is no， free will does not exist。 We live in a deterministic universe and quantum mechanics does not imply free will。 I haven't finished reading this book yet， but it has been a fun and entertaining read。 I feel like he's talking in a podcast or on Youtube。 This book is relatively long， and it's "turtles all the way down" haha。 。。。more
Bm
，
Sapolsky lays out a foolproof argument。 By definition a biological or scientific mechanism for free will can never be discovered， because any casual physical mechanism by definition is not "free" but rather caused by some mechanism; so， of course no neuron network generating free will can ever be found。 Sapolsky lays out a foolproof argument。 By definition a biological or scientific mechanism for free will can never be discovered， because any casual physical mechanism by definition is not "free" but rather caused by some mechanism; so， of course no neuron network generating free will can ever be found。 。。。more
Korpivaara Toni
，
Tremendously complicated and complex topic！ I just began， first by skimming the book， and now reading。 ‘Determined’ is already groundbreaking。 Sapolsky makes a convincing argument for an idea that will be unacceptable to most who encounter it， but liberating for those who find a way to wield it。 How you’ll react to Sapolsky’s message is probably already determined。 How else could it be？
Maher Razouk
，
تخيل حفل تخرج في الجامعة。 على الرغم من التفاهات والتقليدية والأسلوب الهابط ، يوجد أيضا بعض السعادة، الفخر。 العائلات التي تبدو تضحياتها الآن تستحق كل هذا العناء。 الخريجون الذين كانوا أول من أنهى دراستهم الثانوية في أسرهم。 أولئك الذين يجلس آباؤهم المهاجرون هناك متوهجين معلنين أن اعتزازهم بالحاضر ليس على حساب اعتزازهم بماضيهم。ثم تلاحظ شخصا ما。 وسط التجمعات العائلية بعد الحفل، الخريجون الجدد يلتقطون الصور مع الجدة على كرسيها المتحرك، واندفاعات العناق والضحك، ترى الشخص في الخلف، الشخص الذي هو جزء من تخيل حفل تخرج في الجامعة。 على الرغم من التفاهات والتقليدية والأسلوب الهابط ، يوجد أيضا بعض السعادة، الفخر。 العائلات التي تبدو تضحياتها الآن تستحق كل هذا العناء。 الخريجون الذين كانوا أول من أنهى دراستهم الثانوية في أسرهم。 أولئك الذين يجلس آباؤهم المهاجرون هناك متوهجين معلنين أن اعتزازهم بالحاضر ليس على حساب اعتزازهم بماضيهم。ثم تلاحظ شخصا ما。 وسط التجمعات العائلية بعد الحفل، الخريجون الجدد يلتقطون الصور مع الجدة على كرسيها المتحرك، واندفاعات العناق والضحك، ترى الشخص في الخلف، الشخص الذي هو جزء من الطاقم، يجمع القمامة على هامش الحدث。اختر أي من الخريجين بشكل عشوائي。 قم ببعض السحر حتى يبدأ جامع القمامة حياته بجينات الخريج。 وبالمثل بالنسبة للحصول على الرحم الذي أمضى فيه تسعة أشهر والعواقب اللاجينية المترتبة على ذلك مدى الحياة。 احصل على طفولة الخريج أيضًا - طفولة مليئة، على سبيل المثال، بدروس العزف على البيانو وليالي الألعاب العائلية، بدلاً من التهديد بالذهاب إلى الفراش جائعًا، أو التشرد، أو الترحيل بسبب نقص الأوراق。 دعونا نسير على طول الطريق بحيث، بالإضافة إلى أن جامع القمامة قد حصل على كل ماضي الخريج، فإن الخريج قد حصل على ماضي جامع القمامة。 قم بتبديل كل العوامل التي ليس لديهم سيطرة عليها، وسوف تحصل على جامع القمامة في رداء التخرج والخريج في رداء جمع القمامة 。 وهذا ما أعنيه بالحتمية。ولماذا يهم هذا؟لأننا نعلم جميعًا أن الخريج وجامع القمامة سيتبادلان الأماكن。 ولأننا، رغم ذلك، نادرًا ما نتأمل في هذا النوع من الحقائق؛ نهنئ الخريج على كل ما أنجزه ونبتعد عن طريق رجل القمامة دون أن نلقي نظرة عليه。。Robert SapolskyDeterminedTranslated By #Maher_Razouk 。。。more
Tom Szakal
，
30 years ago， chaos theory was trying to tell us that a squirrel sneezing in the Midwest could cause a La Nina in the Pacific Northwest。 Now this guy wants to tell us that whether we turn right or left has already been predetermined。 I'm tired of this scientific extremism。 The average person has less free will then he or she may think。 Maybe he should explain that。 Instead， this guy works in Academia， lives in California， and does research on baboons。 I'm sorry， this guy doesn't have a clue。 （or 30 years ago， chaos theory was trying to tell us that a squirrel sneezing in the Midwest could cause a La Nina in the Pacific Northwest。 Now this guy wants to tell us that whether we turn right or left has already been predetermined。 I'm tired of this scientific extremism。 The average person has less free will then he or she may think。 Maybe he should explain that。 Instead， this guy works in Academia， lives in California， and does research on baboons。 I'm sorry， this guy doesn't have a clue。 （or so it may seem） My best example on free will is his choice to write this book and take the public's money instead of presenting his research in scientific journals and face scientific and philosphical scrutiny。 （BTW， his theories are not accepted in the the philosophical or scientific communities） Milking the public is a choice。 Use your free will and go back to the baboons。 。。。more
Sara
，
This is a very technical book， yet Sapolsky made a considerable effort to break it down for the average reader。 I have a bachelor's in Psychology and have read Dennett and some of the other authors Sapolsky mentioned， so many of the experiments mentioned were familiar to me already， and I have given a fair amount of thought to the free will debate in my personal life。 He's good at timing his jokes to keep you interested when things get dense。 Once， he even tells you to just skip an entire paragr This is a very technical book， yet Sapolsky made a considerable effort to break it down for the average reader。 I have a bachelor's in Psychology and have read Dennett and some of the other authors Sapolsky mentioned， so many of the experiments mentioned were familiar to me already， and I have given a fair amount of thought to the free will debate in my personal life。 He's good at timing his jokes to keep you interested when things get dense。 Once， he even tells you to just skip an entire paragraph and come back to it later if you need it， which was great （I had no idea what that paragraph meant， anyway）。 I can't speak to the science of the book， as to its accuracy or the methodology of the experiments。 As a casual reader， however， I don't think it matters a whole lot whether or not his argument is "correct。" What matters is how we respond to it。 I actually would have loved a few more chapters at the end on this part of the argument （what do we do if there's no free will？） because I felt like that was the strongest part of the book。 It leaves you questioning whether any choices you make actually matter， but it also makes some important points about our criminal justice system that happen to be in line with my views: i。e。， punishment should be about protecting people from likely future harm， not retribution against the perpetrator。 In some cases， we punish too harshly， and in some not enough。 Jail time may not be the best punishment for some crimes， either。 Overall， it's a good introduction to the subject if you've never thought about it before。 It provides a positive view of Determinism， rather than a bleak diatribe about how nothing matters。 。。。more
carl
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Wait。 You're saying John Calvin was right？ What the hell am I supposed to with that？I've commented on this book before reading because hearing lectures and interviews on YouTube piqued my interest。When some unrelated physicists pointed out that if you're a materialist it's the most sensible conclusion。 After all the Big Bang begins the movement of all other particles。Those particles in a long 13 billion year chain brought us here。 The basic movement of particles are not only traceable they are p Wait。 You're saying John Calvin was right？ What the hell am I supposed to with that？I've commented on this book before reading because hearing lectures and interviews on YouTube piqued my interest。When some unrelated physicists pointed out that if you're a materialist it's the most sensible conclusion。 After all the Big Bang begins the movement of all other particles。Those particles in a long 13 billion year chain brought us here。 The basic movement of particles are not only traceable they are predictable。Our neurology， our body， is identical with us。 That neurology is driven by electrochemical processes。 The elements of 'electro' and 'chemical' are driven by molecules。 Those molecules are driven by atoms and in turn particles。That thought you just had has its roots in a 13 billion year old super expansion of particles。 One after another until now。After all where did that thought you just had come from？ Have you ever thought up a thought that wasn't already there to begin with？Probably going to be reading this book of his before the others。 In the meantime （that word suddenly seems an ominous pun） his lectures are well worth a listen。 。。。more
Nicolai Gamulea
，
I'm a big fan of Sapolsky， but I fear he's about to publish a wrong thesis。 What he doesn't seem to get， imho， blinded as he is by physicalism， is that free will does exist - it's just that it exists not at a biological level of reality， but at a social one。 It comes with the self-ownership of a person， as delimited by its social identity， not by its skin。 Free will is a social construct， and it's a fundamental one for many other social constructs that our civilisation is made of。 I'm a big fan of Sapolsky， but I fear he's about to publish a wrong thesis。 What he doesn't seem to get， imho， blinded as he is by physicalism， is that free will does exist - it's just that it exists not at a biological level of reality， but at a social one。 It comes with the self-ownership of a person， as delimited by its social identity， not by its skin。 Free will is a social construct， and it's a fundamental one for many other social constructs that our civilisation is made of。 。。。more
Nikita
，
Amazing and wonderful
Isaac
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Simply amazing
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