Episode 116: It’s not very often that a book about philosophy has people talking, but the recent publication of “Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will” by Robert M. Sapolsky is an exception.

The argument made by Sapolsky, a professor of biology of Stanford University, is remarkable simple: none of us are in control or responsible for the decisions we make.

This is not, as you might think, because of a higher power — the author considers himself to be an atheist. Instead, he writes that:

“The intent you form, the person you are, is the result of all the interactions between biology and environment that came before. All things out of your control.”

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss whether this is radical idea is a useful way to look at our lives.

Links to stories discussed during the podcast:

Do you have free will? A new book by Robert Sapolsky argues that we’re not in control of or responsible for the decisions we make, by Kieran Setiya, The Atlantic

Robert Sapolsky doesn’t believe in free will. (But feel free to disagree.), by Hope Reese, The New York Times

About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. His forthcoming book, "Finding Your Third Place," will be published by Fulcrum Books.

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