The Case Against Free Will [recurso electrónico] What a Quiet Revolution in Psychology has Revealed about How Behaviour is Determined

Do judges' decisions depend on how long it is since they ate their lunch? Is the best place for a woman to seduce a man on a rickety bridge? Does free will really exist? This book explores how our genes and experiences determine our behaviour as well as discussing the implications determinism may have on personal responsibility and morality. "Chocolate ice cream or vanilla? A Ford or a Honda? When we make choices like these, our decisions feel free, but this book highlights research in psychology that reveals how powerfully our behaviour is determined, even when it feels free. It explores the fascinating evidence, including why we find some men and women more sexually attractive, why some become criminals or psychopaths, and even why some are more likely to believe in a god. The book concludes with a discussion of the profound -and sometimes counterintuitive- implications. If all behaviour is determined, for example, this might seem to leave us helpless in the face of the environmental and genetic forces that control us, but Lieberman argues that determinism potentially allows us greater control over our behaviour than free will, not less." Front Matter....Pages i-ix Prologue....Pages 1-12 Front Matter....Pages 13-13 Sex and Violence....Pages 15-29 Childhood: Genes....Pages 30-54 Childhood: Environment....Pages 55-80 Behaviour Must Be Lawful....Pages 81-104 Front Matter....Pages 105-105 The Feeling of Freedom: Unconscious Associations....Pages 107-124 The Feeling of Freedom: Making Decisions and Solving Problems....Pages 125-149 Determinism’s Implications....Pages 150-170 Back Matter....Pages 171-198