We conclude considering that Sam Harris and Jerry Coyne deny free will: find the entire series here.
Having considered their views: do you get is now? Jerry Coyne is now promulgating the concept that there is no self-reformation but only environmental reformation brought about by others. But who are these others? Surely, family and friends certainly but why not leave it up to professionals, as it where, and include the society, the state, government, call it what you will.
Certainly, this may be much ado about nihil. Then again, when you think of Richard Dawkins recently engaging in a campaign to secularist Europe, you do have to wonder. And yes, you heard right: first he boasts that Europe is majority secular and then he campaigns to secularize Europe (you will find a clip of his ad in this regard within the video: Richard Dawkins & Ted Haggard: Science, God and Hitler).
Of Sam Harris’ book “Free Will” Jerry Coyne states, in a combo of comedy and tragedy, “Read it: you have no choice.” Then again, if you do not read it and even if you simply refuse to read it due to not wanting to consider the issue well, you had no choice in that either.
V.S. Ramachandran (Director of the Center for Brain and Cognition, UCSD) has this to say about Harris and his book, “…this elegant and provocative book…with great intellectual ferocity and panache…” but of course, this is no compliment to Harris as the book’s elegant, intellectual ferocity and panache where determined and fashioned from without by Harris’ environment. He had nothing to do with it.
Likewise, Paul Bloom (Professor of Psychology, Yale University) wrote, “…this smart, engaging, and extremely readable little book…a delightful discussion by one of the sharpest young scholars around.” Again, Sam Harris gets no credit at all for being, allegedly, “smart, engaging…delightful…sharp…”, etc.
He also notes “Sam Harris argues that free will doesn’t exist, that we’re better off knowing that it doesn’t exist, and that—once we think about it in the right way—we can appreciate from our own experience that it doesn’t exist” [emphasis added].
Owen Flanagan (James B. Duke Professor of Philosophy, Duke University) notes that while “Many say that believing that there is no free will is impossible—or, if possible, will cause nihilism and despair” yet that “In this feisty and personal essay, Harris offers himself as an example of a heart made less self-absorbed, and more morally sensitive and creative, because this particular wicked witch is dead.” Again, this is a non-sequitur premised upon the myth of an Atheist utopia.
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