Sam Harris, Robert Sapolsky, Dan Dennett, and Rush Walk Into a Bar…
Do We Really Have Free Will?
Ah, free will—everyone's favorite topic for debates that make your brain feel like it's trying to do yoga. The question is: Do we actually make our own choices, or is everything we do already set in stone by forces beyond our control? Here's my not really that deep of a dive into some perspectives on the big question, starting with some serious science guys (Sam Harris and Robert Sapolsky), getting a little elbow room from philosopher Dan Dennett, and then letting rock legends Rush have the last word.
Sam Harris and Robert Sapolsky: Free Will? Nope, You're Just Along for the Ride
First, we've got Sam Harris, a neuroscientist and philosopher who says, "Nope, you don't have free will. You only think you do." According to Sam, our brains are like super-complex computers. Every choice we make is just a result of stuff happening in our brain that we don't control—genetics, past experiences, mood, the fact that you haven't had your coffee yet. So when you decide to hit the snooze button instead of going for that morning run, it's not really you deciding; it's just your brain doing its thing.
Harris argues that if we truly understood this, we'd probably rethink a lot of things, like blaming people for their mistakes. Instead of saying, "That guy's a jerk," maybe we'd say, "Oh, he's got a jerk brain; let's try to fix that."
Robert Sapolsky comes in with similar thinking. He's also a neuroscientist, and he says everything we do is basically programmed by biology. You're like a puppet pulled by strings of hormones, genes, and neural circuits. According to Sapolsky, if we knew every little detail about someone's biology, we could predict every move they make like they're on autopilot. He's pretty much saying, "Look, free will is just a trick your brain plays on you."
Both Harris and Sapolsky think that if we accept that free will is an illusion, we'd start treating each other differently. Instead of blaming people, we'd try to figure out what led them to make certain choices and maybe find ways to help them out. Kind of like when you find out your friend is grumpy not because they're mean, but because they're hangry—you just hand them a sandwich instead of judging.
Dan Dennett: Free Will, With Just a Little Bit of Elbow Room
Now, philosopher Dan Dennett comes in with a fresh perspective. In his book Elbow Room, Dennett says, "Okay, okay, maybe we don't have total, ultimate, cosmic-level freedom, but we do have enough 'elbow room' to make some choices that actually matter." Basically, he's the middle-ground guy here.
Dennett's idea is that even if everything in the universe is technically determined by cause and effect, humans have just enough wiggle room to be able to make decisions and be responsible for them. So, yeah, maybe you're influenced by your genes, your upbringing, and whether or not you got enough sleep, but you're not a complete robot. You've got some freedom to move around in that little space, like a puppy on a long leash. You might not be able to run off into the woods, but you can still choose to chase your tail.
For Dennett, this "elbow room" is enough for free will to matter. Even if your choices are limited, they're still your choices, so you're still responsible for them. No cosmic-level freedom required.
Rush: "If You Choose Not to Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice"
In their song "Freewill," rock band Rush gives a counterpoint to these deterministic views, singing, "If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice." This lyric suggests that, even if life's forces are pushing and pulling us in all directions, we still have some say in how we respond. Sure, maybe you didn't choose your genetics, or the fact that your boss scheduled an 8AM meeting, but you still get to decide whether to join that Zoom call in pajama pants or not. Life throws stuff at you, but you can still choose how to deal with it—even if it's just a little choice, like saying "I'm not deciding," which is... actually still a decision.
In a way, Rush's take is kind of a mic-drop to the no-free-will camp. Their message? Life might try to box you in, but you still get to choose your response, even if it's "I'm doing nothing."
So... Do We Have Free Will or Not?
Here's my takeaway from these four perspectives:
Harris and Sapolsky are in the "No, free will is just a trick of the brain" camp. They think our actions are all pre-determined by biology, and if we accept that, we'd be more understanding of each other.
Dennett gives us a little more wiggle room, saying that even if we're influenced by all kinds of stuff, we have just enough "elbow room" to make choices that matter.
Rush rocks it up, "You always have a choice—even if that choice is choosing not to choose." It's a bit more optimistic, leaving room for personal agency, even if life is full of limits.
Why It Matters
Whether we have total free will, a little bit of wiggle room, or none at all, this debate makes me think differently about human behavior. If we're not really in control, does it make sense to blame people for their actions? Should we just hand out sandwiches instead of getting mad when people are hangry? And if we do have some kind of choice, even in a limited way, what should we do with it?
Maybe we don't get a clear answer, but these perspectives push us to think beyond the usual "blame and punish" mindset and to see the complex web of influences behind every choice we make. So, the next time you're stuck in a debate about free will, just remember: even if you're not in control, you still get to choose your response. And that's not nothing.
References
Harris, S. (2012). Free Will. Free Press. https://www.samharris.org/books/free-will
Sapolsky, R. M. (2024). Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will. Penguin Press. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/592344/determined-by-robert-m-sapolsky/
Dennett, D. C. (1984). Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting. MIT Press. https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262540421/elbow-room/
Rush. (1980). Freewill [Song]. On Permanent Waves. Mercury Records. https://www.rush.com/songs/freewill/