Is Free Will An Illusion: A Conversation with David Lawrence

In this episode, Brian talks to David Lawrence. David is the
author of "Are We Biochemical Robots?", a deep dive on the
question of Free Will. 


The question of free will has puzzled philosophers, theologians,
and scientist for all of recorded human history. Today, there are
a number of prominent thinkers, including the philosopher and
neuroscientist Sam Harris, who believe that Free Will is an
illusion. They believe that everything we do is already
determined, the so-called "deterministic" viewpoint.


David thinks the arguments against Free Will do not hold up under
scrutiny, and in particular, that determinism is scientifically
invalid.


In the podcast, David and Brian talk about the nature of the Free
Will question, determinism, reductionist scientific thinking and
why reductionism and determinism fail on their own terms, the
evolution of physics from Newtonian physics to General Relativity
to Quantum Mechanics, the problems with causation and randomness,
the nature of consciousness, and more.


And now I give you, David Lawrence.