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Oct 20, 2023

Stanford scientist, after decades of study, concludes: We don’t have free will

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

Before epilepsy was understood to be a neurological condition, people believed it was caused by the moon, or by phlegm in the brain. They condemned seizures as evidence of witchcraft or demonic possession, and killed or castrated sufferers to prevent them from passing tainted blood to a new generation.

Today we know epilepsy is a disease. By and large, it’s accepted that a person who causes a fatal traffic accident while in the grip of a seizure should not be charged with murder.

That’s good, says Stanford University neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky. That’s progress. But there’s still a long way to go.

After more than 40 years studying humans and other primates, Sapolsky has reached the… More.


You may think you chose to read this, but Stanford scientist Robert Sapolsky would disagree. He says virtually all human behavior is beyond our conscious control.

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  1. Lance says:

    God is not real? Human behavior is controlled by an animating “spirit” within. Some believe it’s God, but it’s not. This is why humans do not have free will! Humans do the will of a carnal “spirit”, one that was around at the beginning. Your way of thinking demon-strates this!

  2. Chris says:

    This is a false assumption. Yes, some things are beyond our control but not all things. We are created beings, created by an Eternal God who created all things for His Glory. So we are brought into this world without our consent or will but we have many things to decide from a very young age. Being a mother of five, I have seen the reality of free will everyday, as well as in my husband & my life. We have been married for 51 years, and that was a choice because life can be hard and we have our own nature as well as our spouses to deal with. Thankfully, God’s ways are true & just and He will lead us as we seek Him wholeheartedly.