Dimensions
161 x 242 x 33mm
'Freedom Evolves' addresses one of the great philosophical conundrums: the notion of free will. Is it compatible with modern science? How can we make genuinely free, responsible decisions in a world governed by the laws of physical causation and genetic determinism? Is freedom just an illusion?
In this powerfully argued work, world-renowned philosopher Daniel Dennett shows how the traditional opposition between free will and determinism is misconceived. Free will does exist. However it is not an eternal, unchanging feature of our existence such as the law of gravity - instead, freedom evolves. Like the planet's atmosphere on which life depends, the conditions on which our freedom depends had to evolve, and, like the atmosphere, they continue to evolve - and could be extinguished.
Evolution is the key to resolving the ancient problems of moral and political freedom. It is biology, not physics, that can enable us to distinguish the varieties of freedom that matter.
