Free Will Explained
How the Melody of Science and the Harmony of Philosophy Create a Beautiful Illusion
Published on 6. February 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
176 pages
978-1-4549-2735-8 (ISBN)
Description
A compelling essay on free will from an internationally recognized authority on atheism, and author of God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction.
Do we have free will? And if we don't, why do we feel as if we do? In a godless universe governed by impersonal laws of cause and effect, are you responsible for your actions? Former evangelical minister Dan Barker (God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction) unveils a novel solution to the question that has baffled scientists and philosophers for millennia. He outlines the concept of what he calls "harmonic free will," a two-dimensional perspective that pivots the paradox on its axis to show that there is no single answer-both sides are right. Free will is a useful illusion: not a scientific, but a social truth.
Do we have free will? And if we don't, why do we feel as if we do? In a godless universe governed by impersonal laws of cause and effect, are you responsible for your actions? Former evangelical minister Dan Barker (God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction) unveils a novel solution to the question that has baffled scientists and philosophers for millennia. He outlines the concept of what he calls "harmonic free will," a two-dimensional perspective that pivots the paradox on its axis to show that there is no single answer-both sides are right. Free will is a useful illusion: not a scientific, but a social truth.
Reviews / Votes
"Barker's model [is] a useful way of thinking about free will that adds new perspective on a complicated ethical and philosophical quandary." -Publishers Weekly "Barker's model [is] a useful way of thinking about free will that adds new perspective on a complicated ethical and philosophical quandary." -Publishers WeeklyMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Union Square & Co.
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 140 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-4549-2735-8 (9781454927358)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
02/2018
Union Square & Co.
€6.99
Available for download
Person
Dan Barker is a former-evangelical-preacher-turned-outspoken-atheist who, along with his wife Annie Laurie Gaylor, runs the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the separation of church and state. He has written numerous articles for Freethought Today, an American freethought newspaper, and is also the author of Godless (Ulysses Press) and God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction (Sterling).