The Hubris of Free Will
2009
One of the things we often hear about what makes human beings special and perhaps unique on the planet is that we have free will. But what does that mean exactly? Is it that we are self-directed and autonomous in a way that no other animal is? I think that’s what we mean when we say we have free will. It is what’s behind statements like, ”I get to choose,” “I’m the decider,” “No one tells me what to do,” ” I make the decisions,” ”I set the course.”
But do you? Does anyone?
Are we really capable of charting our own course independently of what’s going on around us, our environment, our history, our beliefs etc.? And if we are, how often do we exercise our… Continue reading


Comment