{"id":114934,"date":"2023-10-07T08:56:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-07T12:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=114934"},"modified":"2026-04-27T13:04:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T17:04:22","slug":"free-will-myth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/free-will-myth\/","title":{"rendered":"The Free Will Myth: Sam Harris Explains 2 Reasons We Buy Into It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you believe that you have free will<\/a>? If so, what might you be overlooking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sam Harris contends that free will is an illusion<\/a>. But, most of us are absolutely convinced that it\u2019s real. Harris says this is because we\u2019ve accepted two misguided beliefs about our thinking and decision-making<\/a> processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to understand why people buy<\/a> into the free will myth, according to Harris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Why People Believe the Free Will Myth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Harris aims to dispel the free will myth by exposing two beliefs he says are just wrong. Let’s examine each of these beliefs and why we embrace them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belief #1: We Could Have Chosen to Behave Differently in the Past<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First, Harris writes that we think we have free will because we look at a choice we made in the past and think we could have made a different decision in the same situation. This feels like proof of free will, but Harris argues that it\u2019s illusory proof. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harris argues that, given that our thoughts and actions are determined by prior causes, there\u2019s no conceivable way that we could have chosen to behave differently in a given situation. If we were to replay the situation over and over again, and the circumstances stay consistent and the external factors influencing us stay the same, then our decision will always be the same. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Free Will and the Ability to Do Otherwise\u00a0<\/strong>

The question of whether we could have chosen to behave differently in a given situation involves what philosophers call the \u201cability to do otherwise,\u201d which many experts consider necessary for moral responsibility<\/a>. Compatibilists and incompatibilists view this differently: Incompatibilists\u2014like Harris\u2014argue that we couldn\u2019t have done otherwise<\/a> if our actions are caused. Conversely, compatibilists<\/a> contend that an external cause for our actions doesn\u2019t rule out an ability to do otherwise if, by acting otherwise, we\u2019d act according to our motivations.

The question of whether we could do otherwise plays out hypothetically in the 1993 film Groundhog Day<\/em>, where Bill Murray plays Phil, a weatherman who keeps reliving the same day. Philosopher Lawrence Crocker writes that at first, determinism seems to order Phil\u2019s world<\/a>: Each day plays out the same as the last, as if everyone\u2019s actions are fully determined by external causes. Yet Phil begins to make different decisions\u2014to act differently\u2014based on what he\u2019s learned. Crocker writes that for the most part, this is consistent with determinism because Phil starts each day with a different mind (with memories of the days prior). But, it might also illustrate compatibilism since his ability to do otherwise implies that he has free will.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Belief #2: We Consciously Drive Our Thoughts and Actions in the Present<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Second, Harris writes that we justify our belief in free will by believing that our thoughts and actions originate with us. He explains that we can disprove the idea that we\u2019re the source of our thoughts by noticing that we have no control over the thoughts we think. To do this, Harris recommends observing how your thoughts and intentions arise: You\u2019ll notice that you don\u2019t decide what thoughts to think, just as you don\u2019t decide what you prefer when choosing between vanilla and chocolate. Harris writes that our thoughts and preferences don\u2019t originate with our conscious selves but instead just occur to our conscious selves. You can do what you want to do\u2014but you can\u2019t decide what you want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Many experts say that observing your thoughts<\/a> can help you see that you don\u2019t control them. In Mindfulness in Plain English<\/em><\/a>, Bhante Gunaratana writes that the goal of meditation<\/a> is an awareness of your thoughts<\/a>, which you\u2019ll see pass automatically through your mind. And, in Wherever You Go, There You Are<\/em><\/a>, Jon Kabat-Zinn explains that thinking involves actively engaging with your thoughts, while mindfulness is stepping back from your thoughts<\/a> to observe them. Some experts think that in addition to improving our awareness, mindfulness can enhance our ability to act freely: Philosopher Terry Hyland writes that practicing mindfulness can help us achieve a control over our mental processes<\/a> that’s something like free will.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harris writes that another way to disprove the idea that we drive our own thoughts and actions is to look at empirical evidence<\/strong>. He explains that researchers have demonstrated that the brain processes information and makes choices before we\u2019re aware of the decision\u2014even though we feel like we\u2019re consciously making the decision. For example, in laboratory experiments, researchers have detected brain activity that shows we intend to move 300 milliseconds before we have the thought that we intend to move. Similarly, neuroimaging techniques can be used to predict which button a research participant will choose to press as many as seven to 10 seconds before the person has consciously decided which button to press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Some experts say that all we can conclude from the experiments Harris cites is that observable physiological processes underpin our decisions<\/a>. Philosopher Alfred Mele writes in Free Will and Luck<\/em><\/a> that such research has other, more plausible interpretations<\/a> than Harris\u2019s: These studies look at \u201creadiness potential,\u201d brain activity that precedes voluntary movement. Mele argues that the presence of this activity doesn\u2019t prove that a decision has been made subconsciously; it simply shows that a distinctive pattern of brain activity precedes a conscious decision. Alternatively, philosopher Adina Roskies explains that new computational models suggest that readiness potential might be an experimental \u201cartifact or illusion<\/a>,\u201d not a real brain signal.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exercise: Think About Your Opinions on Free Will<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Harris\u2019s central argument is that free will is an illusion, and his purpose in writing the book was to convince readers that they don\u2019t really have as much control over their choices as they might think. Reflect on whether you agree or disagree with Harris\u2019s point of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Do you agree with Harris\u2019s argument that we don\u2019t have free will? Why or why not?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Think back to an important decision you made. What outside factors influenced your decision? List them here.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Consider how you ultimately made your choice. Do you think that you were in control of your decision, or was your choice determined by outside factors?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. How has the material in Harris\u2019s book changed the way you think about free will?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Do you believe that you have free will? If so, what might you be overlooking? Sam Harris contends that free will is an illusion. But, most of us are absolutely convinced that it\u2019s real. Harris says this is because we\u2019ve accepted two misguided beliefs about our thinking and decision-making processes. Keep reading to understand why people buy into the free will myth, according to Harris.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":47909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,9],"tags":[1287],"class_list":["post-114934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-philosophy","category-psychology","tag-free-will","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Free Will Myth: Sam Harris Explains 2 Reasons We Buy Into It - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Most of us are convinced that free will is real. Sam Harris says this is because we\u2019ve accepted two misguided beliefs. 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