Free will
by Sam Harris · first published 2012
75% recommend20% neutral5% critical
Why HN recommends it
Short, to-the-point argument that free will is an illusion, since our choices come from brain states we don't control. Readable in a couple of hours; suits anyone curious about the question.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
[Free Will][1] is a 2012 book by the American author and neuroscientist Sam Harris. Harris argues that the truth about the human mind (that free will is an illusion) does not undermine morality or diminish the importance of political and social freedom, and can as well as should change the way we think about some of the most important questions in life. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Will_(book)
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Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Free Will by Sam Harris. Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus by Ludwig Wittgenstein
on “Ask HN: What book that you read in 2015 significantly affected how you think?” ↗I know exactly what you can do. Read "Free Will" by Sam Harris. I have a feeling that it will resonate with you, it definitely did with me.
on “Facial structure predicts goals, fouls among World Cup soccer players” ↗Mostly related to mind/happiness/consciousness. + Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion - Sam Harris + Free Will - Sam Harris + Mindfulness in Plain English - Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?” ↗If you haven't already read them, Sam Harris' Free Will and Moral Landscape are totally worth reading. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1451683405 http://www.amazon.com/dp/143917122X
on “Ask HN: What kind of philosophy do you read?” ↗If you're interested in this idea, read "Free Will" by Sam Harris. Very short and to-the-point, but a fantastic read.
on “I feel therefore I am” ↗'I Am That' by Nisargadatta Maharaj 'The First and Last Freedom' by J. Krishnamurti: Mainly because of what he says regarding Free Will. Later I read 'Free Will' by Sam Harris, and I think Sam explains the same idea in more detail. Citing 'The First and Last Freedom': "Thought is nothing else but reaction; thought is not creative." 'The…
on “Ask HN: What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models?” ↗Leaving aside fiction (but if I weren't I would put Hamlet at the top) to focus: The stoic classics mentioned throughout these replies; Reinventing the Sacred; The Art of War; Descarte's Error; Free Will by Sam Harris Introduction to Probability Theory
on “Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?” ↗"Free Will" by Sam Harris. A buddy told me to read this after we got in a long debate about free will at a bar. Basically, he told me I wasn't even grasping what free will is, and that the hour to read the book…
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗Free Will by Sam Harris had a great affect on how I view the people and by proxy the world around me. He argues that anyones decisions are a direct result of the physical structure of their respective brain, which…
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗Free Will by Sam Harris. Before reading it I felt like I had free will, but I didn’t know how to articulate why. A few hours later (it’s not a long read), it was clear to me that free will is an illusion. To…
on “Ask HN: Life Changing Books?” ↗You also don't know what your next thought is going to be. Furthermore there are strong arguments that free will is an illusion. See "Free Will" by Sam Harris.
on “My Subconscious Is a Better Developer Than I Am” ↗If you find this subject interesting I'd like to suggest Sam Harris' "Free Will."
on “What You Believe Affects What You Achieve” ↗Sam Harris explores these topics in his book Free Will, I wasn't blown away by the read but would still recommended it if you already find yourself fascinated by the discussion.
on “Gut bacteria may offer a treatment for autism” ↗…below. All of these are completable in 2 or so hours and non-fiction. For me at least, this is notable since so many non-fiction reads take 400 pages to make a point that could be summarized in 150: - Free Will, Sam Harris - one of my buddies strongly recommended this book after debating me on the subject for an hour plus. While some of the question of free will is semantics, Harris deeply changed my position…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗I found Sam Harris’ book on Free Will, named as such, to be extraordinarily compelling. It’s short, at 96 pages, and I feel worth the read.
on “Why Quantum Mechanics?” ↗