The social implications of the absence of free will

Robert Sapolsky is a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University. In his recent book “Determined” (2023, Vintage), he presents a fascintating essay about the science of life without free will and its social (and legal) implications

He starts his analysis by rescuing the crazy argument that our Planet is supported by a giant turtle. Asked what supports the first turtle, proponents of the theory answered that it’s “turtles all the way down.” This is nonsense, but the expression is used by Sapolsky to basically argue that human decisions are “biology all the way down.” There are chemical and biological forces, produced by a combination of genes and the environment, that explain human decisions and behavior. There are no autonomous forces (no soul, no conscience, no free will) that are separated from the atoms that put together our bodies, including our brains, that explain why we do the things we do. As I once heard in a TV documentary, we are not that different from anthills, we are just “put together in a way that makes us look smarter.” Similarly, I read in the book (p. 386): “There is nothing but an empty, indifferent universe in which, occasionally, atoms come together temporarily to form things we each call Me.”

Of course, I lack the expertise to scientifically evaluate the claims in the book, but after reading it I am more persuaded than I already was before (and I tend to sympathize with materialistic interpretations of reality) that there is not much that we really choose, although we are brought to believe that we do.

As a good scientist, the author challenges himself by questioning whether his theory survives after taking into consideration the contributions of three successful branches of scientific knowledge: Chaos theory, Complex systems, and Quantum indeterminacy. Chaos theory shows that small changes somewhere can have dramatic implications at some distant point in time or space. Complex systems show that difficult to predict properties emerge from the interaction of a big quantity of elements that move following simple rules at the individual level (like in flocks of migrating birds). Quantum indeterminacy shows that at a subatomic level, there is a lot of randomness going on. But none of this contradicts -if anything, it reinforces (by looking at experimental and other evidence)- that human behavior is explained by the biological forces that, influenced by the social and material environment, acted one second before, one minute before… and all the way down.

In the second half of the book, Sapolsky looks at the social (and legal) implications of the absence of free will. That these implications do not need to be pessimistic is concluded by analogy of how social thinking has evolved in our consideration of conditions such as Epilepsy, Schizophrenia, or Obesity. Back in time, those that suffered these conditions, or their relatives, were blamed in one way or another, until science clarified that there were biological (genes plus the environment) explanations for these conditions. As a result, although there is still much to improve, these persons are treated today with much more respect and compassion.

What about killers and horrible criminals? Should we treat them like we treat those that suffer from epilepsy? Basically yes, concludes the author (who also discusses the differences between atheists and believers, and the evolution of the death penalty in the US, his country). That does not imply that they should not be separated from society, in the same way that governments impose lockdowns or quarantines. The example is the prison system of Norway, probably the most advanced country in the world. In a wonderful page (379), Sapolsky combines a condemnation of white supremacism with praise for Scandinavian social democracy. The author of the massacre of the Utoya island, where dozens of young socialdemocrat activists were killed, is today learning political science in a three room living space, separated from society, where he has access to TV, computer, treadmill, kitchen and social and psychological support. Countries that are closer to the Norwegian system have better social and educational outcomes than countries that are closer to more punitive systems and that look more to the past than to the future.

The book concludes with a profoundly egalitarian message. There is little individual merit in those that “succeed.” Readers should not skip the footnotes (or the personal autobiographic references of the author). In page 391, a footnote reflects about the words of a successful Harvard student of humble origin that, in a graduation ceremony, paid tribute to his parents, who made great sacrifices so that he could study: “My talents are indistinguishable from their labors; they are one and the same”