Determined

£12.99

Behind every thought, action and experience there lies a chain of biological and environmental causes, stretching back from the moment a neuron fires to the dawn of our species and beyond. Nowhere in this infinite sequence is there a place where free will could play a role. Without free will, it makes no more sense to punish people for antisocial behaviour than it does to scold a car for breaking down. It is no one’s fault they are poor or overweight or unsuccessful, nor do people deserve praise for their talent or hard work; ‘grit’ is a myth. This mechanistic view of human behaviour challenges our most powerful instincts, but history suggests that we have already made great strides toward it: where once we saw demonic possession or cowardice, for example, now we diagnose illness or trauma and offer help. This book confronts us with our true nature: who and what we are is biology and nothing more.

In stock

SKU: 9781529920062 Category: Tags: ,

Additional information

Weight 361 g
Dimensions 198 × 129 × 31 mm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Paperback

Pages

528

Language

English

Edition
Dewey

123.5 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K