The Nonsense of Free Will: Facing Up to a False Belief

by Richard Oerton

Did Myra Hindley deserve to be punished? Does any criminal? Is belief in free will an essential foundation for morality, or an excuse for unwarranted cruelty? Is free will a myth and, if so, can we let go of it? In this entertaining, accessible but deeply serious book, the author brings a refreshingly original approach to the age-old conflict between free will and determinism and comes down firmly against free will. But what does 'free will' mean? And if we rejected it, what would the consequences be? The author, a lawyer who has worked both on law reform at the Law Commission and in private practice, and has written legal and other books and articles, has turned to a subject which has interested him for over half a century. He strongly believes that it does not belong exclusively to philosophers. These questions should be of concern to everyone - and no one who is willing to look at them objectively should be afraid to judge for themselves and reach their own conclusions.

Genres: Philosophy, Science, Nonfiction, Society, Psychology

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2012

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you disagree with the statement, "free will does not exist," consider reading this book. Well written argument that the notion of free will "is nonsense not because determinism is true but because free will is nonsensical."

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extremely clear book on one of the oldest topics in philosophical debate: Free will. Incidentally, Richard Oerton shows that the existence or non-existence of free will does have enormous implications to our everyday lives and is not just a fancy construct to be discussed in academia. But it is, in fact, an illogical and inherently nonsensical concept, no matter how you look at it. What this book shows is that no great intellect is needed to dispel free will, only common sense. I found the book to be a bit boring, only because I'm extremely familiar with this topic, the seemingly eternal debate around it, the arguments from both sides, and the implications of such a belief but I have no doubt: most people will gain a tremendous amount of insight by reading this book. Also worth reading: "Free Will" by Sam Harris.

[WKanert · Rating 5 out of 5]

The topic of free will has a very long history, and philosophers have literally published whole libraries about it. Oerton, who is not a philosopher but a solicitor, provides a more down-to earth account, clearly stating that free will doesn't exist. He provides arguments and discusses the wide-ranging implications of this assertion. If you're not content with the high-flying considerations of armchair philosophers, but are more inclined that this is not only a philosophical topic but should be measured against empirical sciences, and you may surmise that free will is more like an ideological construct, this is a book that provides arguments for this discussion.

[Amit Levi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, especially if you already believe in determinism.

Although I don't think this book will convince believers of free will of it's incoherence, it does provide very logical arguments against free will, and it certainly polished my understanding of determinism.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, a must read for anyone and everyone

[Jan Bloxham · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book on determinism I’ve read. Simple, clear writing that anyone can follow.