Robert Sapolsky: We don’t have free will | The InnerView

At just 14 years old, Robert Sapolsky decided that free will doesn’t exist and he’s been working to prove it ever since. In his new book, Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will, the celebrated neuroscientist and primatologist argues that we are essentially biological machines, shaped by our genes and environment, with little to no control over what we do. If that’s true, what does it mean for concepts like blame, hate, praise, love - or the very foundations of morality? Are they also illusions? Drawing from years of studying baboons in Kenya and unraveling human behavior, Sapolsky joins Imran Garda from his home in California to talk about the forces that truly drive us and whether we have ever really had a choice at all. 00:00 Meet Robert Sapolsky 01:34 Why don't we have free will? 02:45 Can it be an excuse for bad behaviour? 03:52 On judging and hating others 05:56 Don't praise, don't blame 07:59 Taking personal responsibility for our actions 09:08 Nature and nurture 10:35 The heritability of behaviour 11:45 His book Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will 12:09 Studying baboons in Kenya 14:14 Baboons over chimpanzees? 15:56 Activating the brain's ancient wiring 18:32 Sapolsky's views on the Gaza war 19:44 How to stop hating someone 20:47 The case of Phineas Gage 24:47 Biological machines, manipulation and caffeine 25:27 The philosophy of Professor Sapolsky Subscribe: http://trt.world/subscribe Livestream: http://trt.world/ytlive Facebook: http://trt.world/facebook Twitter: http://trt.world/twitter Instagram: http://trt.world/instagram Visit our website: http://trt.world