Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will

 
　　《堅決的意志：沒有自由意志的人生，其背後的科學》（Determined: A Science of Life without Free）提出跨領域的科學研究，從神經學、動物學、社會學、哲學……等各種面向，全面檢視人類社會中的個體，在某一個當下、或終其一生，在理智與情感、刺激與反應之間，是否依照自由意志做出行為決定。
 
　　以跳脫傳統、充滿說服力的文字，辯證為什麼自由意志不過只是一種幻覺，而接受這個想法，又為什麼不會使秩序崩潰，反將帶領我們打造更人性化的社會。這本令人大開眼界的書作，將大膽顛覆人類幾個世紀以來的認知，絕對會引起熱烈討論。(文/博客來編譯)
 
媒體評論：

• 「幾乎沒有人，能像著名的神經科學家羅伯特·薩波爾斯基那樣，深入解析人類大腦。」

——《舊金山紀事報》（San Francisco Chronicle）今年秋季最期待大書

• 「薩波爾斯基以獨特的風格提出了一個有力的論點，揭示為何自由意志只不過是一種幻覺…… 幽默、絕妙的筆法，十分好讀。」

——《書單》雜誌（Booklist）高度推崇

　　　'One of the world's greatest scientists of human behaviour shows that free will does not exist - and challenges us to rethink the very notion of choice, identity, responsibility, justice, morality and how we live together.

　　'One of the best scientist-writers of our time' Oliver Sacks

　　Behind every thought, action and experience there lies a chain of biological and environmental causes, stretching back from the moment a neuron fires to the dawn of our species and beyond. Nowhere in this infinite sequence is there a place where free will could play a role.

　　Without free will, it makes no more sense to punish people for antisocial behaviour than it does to scold a car for breaking down. It is no one's fault they are poor or overweight or unsuccessful, nor do people deserve praise for their talent or hard work; 'grit' is a myth. This mechanistic view of human behaviour challenges our most powerful instincts, but history suggests that we have already made great strides toward it: where once we saw demonic possession or cowardice, for example, now we diagnose illness or trauma and offer help.

　　Determined confronts us with our true nature: who and what we are is biology and nothing more. Disturbing and liberating in equal measure, it explores the far-reaching implications for society of accepting this reality. Monumentally difficult as it may be, the reward will be a far more just and humane world.

　　史丹福大學教授羅伯特·薩波爾斯基（Robert M. Sapolsky）是位神經生物學家（研究大腦的人）加上靈長類動物學家（研究猴子和猩猩的人），前作《行為：暴力、競爭、利他，人類行為背後的生物學》（Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best），同時被《華盛頓郵報》、《華爾街日報》、《紐約時報》等重要媒體，選為年度最佳好書。