#360 — We Really Don’t Have Free Will?

This podcast episode explores the concept of free will and its implications for ethics, criminal justice, and human behavior. The guest, Robert Sapolsky, challenges the idea of libertarian free will and criticizes compatibilists for changing the subject. The discussion covers the intuitive sense of free will, the ethical and legal challenges of denying free will, and the argument against determinism based on intuition. The episode also delves into complexity theory and emergent properties, debunking the idea that free will is an emergent property. The speakers discuss downward causation and higher-level causation, asserting that reductionism still holds. The section concludes by exploring the enigmatic concept of downward causality and its impact on the brain and human experience. The episode also touches on the essence of humanness, the neural correlates of unique characteristics, and the complex relationship between free will and neurobiology. The speakers emphasize the role of genes, environment, and chance in shaping our minds and behaviors. The implications of epigenetics on freedom and responsibility are also discussed, clarifying that while epigenetics can shape behavior, individual agency and choice still play a role.