Free Will

By Sam Harris

Free Will - Sam Harris
  • Release Date: 2012-03-06
  • Genre: Science & Nature
Score: 4
4
From 281 Ratings

Description

From the New York Times bestselling author of The End of Faith, a thought-provoking, "brilliant and witty" (Oliver Sacks) look at the notion of free will—and the implications that it is an illusion.

A belief in free will touches nearly everything that human beings value. It is difficult to think about law, politics, religion, public policy, intimate relationships, morality—as well as feelings of remorse or personal achievement—without first imagining that every person is the true source of his or her thoughts and actions. And yet the facts tell us that free will is an illusion.

In this enlightening book, Sam Harris argues that this truth about the human mind does not undermine morality or diminish the importance of social and political freedom, but it can and should change the way we think about some of the most important questions in life.

Reviews

  • Is there a free lunch?

    4
    By tdeaton
    In yet another great read by Dr. Harris, you will choose not to read it by finishing it and blaming your parents for your siblings.
  • Feels More Like An Essay

    5
    By Elias Linares
    I finished the book in about 3 hours, maybe a little longer. It would be reasonable to lower the price considering how short it is. Nonetheless, great read. Sam Harris makes a strong argument against the notion of free will. Not only that, he explains how understanding that free will is an illusion could significantly change our paradigm on how we view human actions.
  • Great and quick read—a little too quick.

    5
    By StormFighter007
    Sam Harris makes a great argument against our notion of free will and does so precisely and convincingly. As others have pointed out, the book is a little short, and therefore a little pricey. That being said, the content of the book is very much worth reading and contemplating. I heard about Free Will first on the Charlie and Ben Podcast, where Ben mentioned that he didn’t want to agree with Sam’s argument that free will is an illusion, but that he couldn’t find a convincing reason to disagree with him either. I think this romanticized notion that most of us do believe in, does begin to crack and fade once you allow yourself to question it. Sam does a great job helping you doing so. He also addresses questions that naturally arise such as “if there is no free will, then what about personal responsibility?” and so forth.
  • Ok

    5
    By Zapche
    Content was good the price for length was not
  • Satisfied

    5
    By Thecomfyone
    I haven’t legit read since my senior year of highschool, I know I’m barely a sophomore in college but this is a friggin banger.
  • Verbose and overpriced and surprisingly too short at the same time

    1
    By hehendu
    Should be a $2.99 read
  • Loved it!

    5
    By SamFan101
    Sam is one of the few authors who I can't get enough of.
  • No free will

    5
    By Nonozera01
    I had no choice but give five stars to Sam. I love everything that he writes.
  • Thought provoking !

    5
    By finneycanhelp
    No matter where you are in the discussion on free will, this book is excellent! I highly recommend that you read it.
  • Borrowed from Skinner

    3
    By Jason, PhD
    Skinner's book "Beyond Freedom & Dignity" is far more comprehensive, based on the science of behavior, and about half a century sooner. Much of what Harris has to say is rooted in behaviorism. Curious readers ought to check out Skinner's works. Behaviorism is not dead.