{"id":69677,"date":"2022-06-22T10:53:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-22T14:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=69677"},"modified":"2022-06-29T09:04:40","modified_gmt":"2022-06-29T13:04:40","slug":"does-free-will-exist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/does-free-will-exist\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Free Will Exist? The Disturbing Answer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Does free will exist<\/a>? Do you believe that your behavior is the manifestation of fate or free will<\/a>? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people believe their behavior and decisions stem from their conscious choice. The idea of free will is an attractive one, but some scientists maintain that it is an illusion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s why free does not exist, according to Behave <\/em>author Robert Sapolsky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Free Will Is an Illusion <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Does free will exist? Sapolsky doesn\u2019t think so\u2014he believes that free will is an artificial construct we use to fill the gaps in our understanding of human behavior. <\/strong>If this is right, then, logically, someday we\u2019ll close up all of those gaps and have no more need (or space) for the idea of free will. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While giving up the concept of free<\/a> will is a disturbing notion, Sapolsky has some thoughts about why doing so would only change things for the better:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dangerous people<\/a> will still be arrested and\u2014if needed\u2014punished. <\/strong>Just because it\u2019s not their \u201cfault\u201d doesn\u2019t mean that dangerous people would be allowed to walk around freely. What it does <\/em>mean is that justice would no longer focus on punishment, except as a means to discourage them from relapsing into their bad behavior. Instead, the focus would be on fixing whatever caused them to act that way in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Studies have shown that rehabilitation is more effective<\/a>\u2014and cheaper\u2014than punishment-focused prison systems. When prisoners receive health care and mental health treatment, learn marketable skills, and have the opportunity for an education, violence rates in prison drop significantly and prisoners are far less likely to reoffend after release.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People would still take credit for their good deeds. <\/strong>While it doesn\u2019t make logical sense for people to feel pride in their actions if they didn\u2019t \u201cchoose\u201d those actions, it\u2019s unlikely that we\u2019ll ever completely separate ourselves from our egos. Sapolsky\u2019s hope is that we\u2019ll eventually use our concept of free will for harmless things\u2014for instance, taking pride in your skill at a game, or your taste in clothing\u2014instead of using it as a reason to judge and punish others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selflessness in Religion and Science<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While Sapolsky says that people will probably never separate themselves from their egos, many religions throughout history have urged us to do just that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n