- Let me ask you a
rather simple question,
00:00:01.06\00:00:03.06
are you really
thinking for yourself,
00:00:03.06\00:00:05.13
making your own decisions?
00:00:05.13\00:00:07.07
You might be
surprised to find out
00:00:07.07\00:00:08.50
there are people
who say you're not
00:00:08.50\00:00:10.51
and that's today's
episode of "Authentic."
00:00:10.51\00:00:13.74
[slow country music]
00:00:13.74\00:00:16.81
Let me ask you
00:00:34.83\00:00:36.06
what amounts to being
a very strange question,
00:00:36.06\00:00:38.03
did you consciously choose
to listen to this show today
00:00:38.03\00:00:41.70
or did
something or somebody else
00:00:41.70\00:00:43.54
make that decision for you?
00:00:43.54\00:00:45.27
And I know it kind of
rubs our fur the wrong way
00:00:46.71\00:00:48.71
when somebody
suggests that you and I
00:00:48.71\00:00:50.25
are not actually in control
of our brains, our lives,
00:00:50.25\00:00:53.65
not actually making
free will decisions.
00:00:53.65\00:00:56.99
But there's a
growing body of belief,
00:00:56.99\00:00:59.62
a rising number of
people who actually believe
00:00:59.62\00:01:03.19
that your sense of free
will is nothing but an illusion.
00:01:03.19\00:01:07.10
You only think that
you're making decisions
00:01:07.10\00:01:09.56
when in fact you're not.
00:01:09.56\00:01:11.40
And again, I know the
evidence of your senses
00:01:11.40\00:01:14.64
does not agree with that idea.
00:01:14.64\00:01:17.21
You consciously
made the decision
00:01:17.21\00:01:19.24
to download this
podcast, didn't you?
00:01:19.24\00:01:22.24
You consciously
made the decision
00:01:22.24\00:01:24.05
to slip in your earbuds
or sit on the front porch
00:01:24.05\00:01:26.82
and listen to this on the radio
00:01:26.82\00:01:28.65
and you know for sure
that you decided that stuff.
00:01:28.65\00:01:32.22
It's as obvious as
the nose on your face.
00:01:32.22\00:01:35.39
But a number of
very intelligent people
00:01:35.39\00:01:38.23
don't think that's true.
00:01:38.23\00:01:40.00
They think that the decisions
you make are predetermined.
00:01:40.00\00:01:43.67
They're actually
caused by the events
00:01:43.67\00:01:45.30
that came before this moment.
00:01:45.30\00:01:46.97
And while you think you
made a conscious choice,
00:01:46.97\00:01:50.31
it was actually
the events of your past
00:01:50.31\00:01:52.77
that determined what
you're going to do right now.
00:01:52.77\00:01:55.51
And because your
brain cannot possibly assess
00:01:55.51\00:01:58.58
all of the data all of the time,
00:01:58.58\00:02:01.18
there will always
be a lot of influences
00:02:01.18\00:02:03.08
that you're just not aware of.
00:02:03.08\00:02:05.62
For example,
00:02:06.59\00:02:08.09
let's suppose you want to
go shopping for a new sweater
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and you pick out a dark red
V-neck like the one I'm wearing
00:02:10.56\00:02:14.00
and you leave the other
colors behind on the rack.
00:02:14.00\00:02:16.93
Your brain is telling you
00:02:16.93\00:02:18.57
you
deliberately chose that color
00:02:18.57\00:02:21.20
and you might even be able
to explain why you chose it.
00:02:21.20\00:02:24.47
It goes with the pants
that you planned to wear
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or it's Christmas time
and you wanted something red
00:02:26.91\00:02:29.78
or maybe red reminds
you of your dad's old car
00:02:29.78\00:02:32.91
and that gives
you happy memories.
00:02:32.91\00:02:34.68
But can you really
assess every bit of data
00:02:35.78\00:02:38.79
that went into
making that decision?
00:02:38.79\00:02:41.39
Back in 2011, the
author Shaun Nichols
00:02:41.39\00:02:44.23
published a piece in
"Scientific American"
00:02:44.23\00:02:46.76
dealing with the
issue of free will
00:02:46.76\00:02:49.20
and he describes
the problem like this.
00:02:49.20\00:02:51.63
He writes, imagine a universe
00:02:51.63\00:02:54.10
in which everything that
happens is completely caused
00:02:54.10\00:02:57.01
by whatever happened before it.
00:02:57.01\00:02:59.11
So what happened in the
beginning of the universe
00:02:59.11\00:03:01.28
caused what
happened next and so on
00:03:01.28\00:03:03.61
right up to the present.
00:03:03.61\00:03:05.58
If John decided to have
french fries at lunch one day,
00:03:05.58\00:03:08.95
this decision, like all others,
00:03:08.95\00:03:10.99
was caused by what
happened before it.
00:03:10.99\00:03:13.05
Now of course, that
seems completely ridiculous.
00:03:14.46\00:03:16.36
Of course, John
made a conscious decision
00:03:16.36\00:03:19.36
to eat french fries
00:03:19.36\00:03:20.56
and of course, we're
in charge of our lives.
00:03:20.56\00:03:23.37
We might not be able to
choose what happens to us
00:03:23.37\00:03:26.40
over the course of a lifetime,
00:03:26.40\00:03:28.17
but we can certainly
choose how to respond
00:03:28.17\00:03:31.34
or can we?
00:03:32.64\00:03:33.48
Not according to some people.
00:03:34.58\00:03:36.28
Back in 2003, Benjamin
Libet accepted a major prize
00:03:36.28\00:03:40.58
for his work in neuroscience.
00:03:40.58\00:03:42.75
And what he discovered was that,
00:03:42.75\00:03:44.32
when you decide to do something,
00:03:44.32\00:03:47.09
the brain actually fires
a few hundred milliseconds
00:03:47.09\00:03:49.76
before you became aware
of making that decision.
00:03:49.76\00:03:52.99
So in other words,
00:03:52.99\00:03:54.40
it looks like
your neural network
00:03:54.40\00:03:57.27
is making the
decision before you do
00:03:57.27\00:04:00.07
and you only think
you willfully did it.
00:04:00.07\00:04:03.41
Of course, if that's true,
00:04:03.41\00:04:05.67
the implications are staggering.
00:04:05.67\00:04:07.54
It would mean that
you're acting subconsciously
00:04:07.54\00:04:10.65
all the time.
00:04:10.65\00:04:12.31
Of course, his findings
raised a lot of eyebrows
00:04:12.31\00:04:15.28
because it runs
completely contrary
00:04:15.28\00:04:17.19
to everything we think we know
00:04:17.19\00:04:19.49
and it creates a problem
00:04:19.49\00:04:20.96
when it comes to
holding people accountable.
00:04:20.96\00:04:24.59
After all, you can't really
discipline a wayward employee
00:04:24.59\00:04:27.30
if he or she isn't
actually choosing to misbehave.
00:04:27.30\00:04:31.50
And how do you sentence a
murderer to life in prison
00:04:31.50\00:04:34.80
if he didn't actually
have a choice in the matter?
00:04:34.80\00:04:37.41
Naturally, the
theory has a lot of critics
00:04:38.57\00:04:40.38
and some people have pointed out
00:04:40.38\00:04:42.11
that the equipment Libet
was using for that experiment
00:04:42.11\00:04:45.55
might have
created the impression
00:04:45.55\00:04:47.65
that the
subconscious brain fires first.
00:04:47.65\00:04:50.49
And it might just be the case
00:04:50.49\00:04:51.82
that we can't actually measure
00:04:51.82\00:04:53.42
precisely what happens when.
00:04:53.42\00:04:56.96
It all comes down to
the equipment you use
00:04:56.96\00:04:59.43
and its ability to capture
accurate data in real time.
00:04:59.43\00:05:04.03
Given the limits of our
understanding about brain
00:05:04.03\00:05:07.44
science, it may just seem to
us that subconscious decisions
00:05:07.44\00:05:11.07
happen before
you think about them.
00:05:11.07\00:05:12.97
And you've also
got to ask yourself,
00:05:12.97\00:05:15.68
what else aren't we seeing?
00:05:15.68\00:05:17.98
Because while we
monitor certain activities
00:05:17.98\00:05:20.55
with our scientific equipment,
00:05:20.55\00:05:22.35
it's entirely possible
that we're missing processes
00:05:22.35\00:05:25.39
that we know nothing about.
00:05:25.39\00:05:26.99
We're not even looking for them.
00:05:26.99\00:05:30.03
Now personally, I
think the real problem
00:05:30.03\00:05:32.73
that I have with this idea
00:05:32.73\00:05:34.20
is that it seems
to fly in the face
00:05:34.20\00:05:36.36
of everyday human experience.
00:05:36.36\00:05:38.47
I mean,
everything we have ever known
00:05:38.47\00:05:40.67
about what it means to be human
00:05:40.67\00:05:42.74
involves the idea
of conscious choice.
00:05:42.74\00:05:46.24
Of course, that doesn't mean
we've been right all this time
00:05:46.24\00:05:49.54
because sometimes
what science reveals
00:05:49.54\00:05:51.58
ends up being
stranger than fiction.
00:05:51.58\00:05:54.58
For example, consider the now
famous double slit experiment,
00:05:54.58\00:05:58.32
which I'm sure you
heard about in high school
00:05:58.32\00:06:00.29
at least if you
were paying attention.
00:06:00.29\00:06:02.99
It's that
experiment where light passes
00:06:02.99\00:06:05.13
through two small slits
00:06:05.13\00:06:06.56
and creates an
interference pattern
00:06:06.56\00:06:08.13
on the surface behind it.
00:06:08.13\00:06:10.07
It's exactly what you'd expect
00:06:10.07\00:06:12.37
and it's kind of like
dropping two stones in a pond
00:06:12.37\00:06:15.30
and watching the
ripples start to overlap.
00:06:15.30\00:06:17.97
The valleys and peaks
of those tiny little waves
00:06:17.97\00:06:20.68
begin to cancel each other out
00:06:20.68\00:06:22.88
and they create a distinctive
and recognizable pattern.
00:06:22.88\00:06:26.98
And shining a normal
light through those two slits
00:06:26.98\00:06:30.29
produces exactly
the same pattern.
00:06:30.29\00:06:33.25
So of course,
that leads most people
00:06:33.25\00:06:35.82
to think of light as a wave,
00:06:35.82\00:06:37.53
and in many ways
that's exactly what light is.
00:06:37.53\00:06:41.20
But then let's assume
also that light is a particle,
00:06:41.20\00:06:44.40
which is also true,
00:06:44.40\00:06:46.17
and we've got a
special gun, let's say,
00:06:46.17\00:06:47.97
that fires just one
light particle at a time
00:06:47.97\00:06:50.37
through those two slits.
00:06:50.37\00:06:52.61
But then we'll block
off one of those slits,
00:06:52.61\00:06:54.51
meaning that we only have one.
00:06:54.51\00:06:56.64
So what do you get?
00:06:56.64\00:06:58.21
Well, you get what you'd expect,
00:06:58.21\00:07:00.08
a bunch of impact points
on the walls behind the slit
00:07:00.08\00:07:02.95
where those light
particles are landing.
00:07:02.95\00:07:05.69
But then open up the second slit
00:07:05.69\00:07:07.79
and you get
something really weird.
00:07:07.79\00:07:09.96
Even though you're only firing
one light particle at a time,
00:07:09.96\00:07:13.50
you still get an
interference pattern.
00:07:13.50\00:07:16.16
It's as if the
individual particles
00:07:16.16\00:07:18.80
are passing through both
slits at the very same time.
00:07:18.80\00:07:22.57
So in other words,
00:07:23.54\00:07:25.04
the behavior of light at the
atomic level in the microcosm
00:07:25.04\00:07:28.84
isn't what we expect.
00:07:28.84\00:07:30.68
It's a complete mystery
00:07:30.68\00:07:31.81
because now the
universe appears to have
00:07:31.81\00:07:34.18
one set of physical principles
up here at the big level,
00:07:34.18\00:07:37.69
but then
apparently, another set of rules
00:07:37.69\00:07:40.12
for the world of tiny particles.
00:07:40.12\00:07:42.56
So welcome to the wonderful
world of quantum mechanics
00:07:42.56\00:07:45.69
where particles appear to
change behavior if we watch them
00:07:45.69\00:07:50.07
and where particles
separated by vast distances
00:07:50.07\00:07:53.03
seem to be able to
communicate with each other
00:07:53.03\00:07:55.57
at speeds faster
than that of light.
00:07:55.57\00:07:58.81
It defies our expectations.
00:07:58.81\00:08:00.84
So the idea that
free will must exist
00:08:00.84\00:08:04.48
because it seems obvious,
00:08:04.48\00:08:06.82
well, it
doesn't necessarily mean
00:08:06.82\00:08:08.42
that's the way the
universe actually is.
00:08:08.42\00:08:11.22
But still, I'm going to
mount a bit of a protest
00:08:11.22\00:08:13.99
because the idea that we
have absolutely no freedom,
00:08:13.99\00:08:16.49
no real moral agency,
00:08:16.49\00:08:19.26
well, it
undermines everything we know
00:08:19.26\00:08:20.96
about what it means to
be authentically human.
00:08:20.96\00:08:24.83
And now, I'm gonna
make a conscious decision
00:08:24.83\00:08:27.30
to take a quick break
00:08:27.30\00:08:28.57
so that you can take advantage
00:08:28.57\00:08:29.87
of some really amazing resources
00:08:29.87\00:08:31.74
from the good people
at The Voice of Prophecy.
00:08:31.74\00:08:34.64
I'll be right back after this.
00:08:34.64\00:08:36.95
- [Announcer] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues,
00:08:40.42\00:08:44.69
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:08:44.69\00:08:49.26
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:08:49.26\00:08:51.46
and come away
scratching your head,
00:08:51.46\00:08:53.19
you're not alone.
00:08:53.19\00:08:54.60
Our free focus on
prophecy guides are designed
00:08:54.60\00:08:57.40
to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:08:57.40\00:08:59.67
and deepen your
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00:08:59.67\00:09:02.10
for you and our world.
00:09:02.10\00:09:03.74
Study online or
request them by mail
00:09:03.74\00:09:06.21
and start bringing
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00:09:06.21\00:09:09.08
- The idea that you
and I have no free will
00:09:10.21\00:09:12.75
is often called determinism,
00:09:12.75\00:09:14.52
as in all your actions are
already determined for you,
00:09:14.52\00:09:18.52
even if you think you're
making conscious decisions.
00:09:18.52\00:09:21.79
And maybe one of the
most significant names
00:09:21.79\00:09:23.69
when it comes to
deterministic thinking
00:09:23.69\00:09:25.83
is the Dutch Jewish
philosopher, Baruch Spinoza,
00:09:25.83\00:09:29.33
a man who lived and
wrote during the 17th century.
00:09:29.33\00:09:32.63
He was descended from a
long line of Portuguese Jews.
00:09:32.63\00:09:35.67
And of course, by the time
we get to the 15 and 1600s,
00:09:35.67\00:09:39.74
a lot of Jews from
the south of Europe
00:09:39.74\00:09:42.18
were looking for
a new place to live
00:09:42.18\00:09:44.61
because of the Inquisition.
00:09:44.61\00:09:47.18
So it's no surprise
that a man like Spinoza
00:09:47.18\00:09:49.85
was born in Amsterdam
00:09:49.85\00:09:51.29
because in the 17th century,
00:09:51.29\00:09:53.36
the Dutch Republic was
about the most tolerant society
00:09:53.36\00:09:56.32
in Western Europe.
00:09:56.32\00:09:57.73
In fact, a lot of
the English dissenters,
00:09:57.73\00:10:00.63
and we've talked
about them on other shows,
00:10:00.63\00:10:03.00
a lot of English dissenters
00:10:03.00\00:10:04.50
who were being persecuted
for their beliefs in England
00:10:04.50\00:10:07.77
were also living
in the Netherlands,
00:10:07.77\00:10:09.54
including people like
John Locke and the pilgrims
00:10:09.54\00:10:12.74
and other
people who left England
00:10:12.74\00:10:14.58
to find just a little
bit of intellectual freedom.
00:10:14.58\00:10:17.78
But of course,
00:10:18.91\00:10:20.35
even though the Netherlands
was famously tolerant
00:10:20.35\00:10:22.32
and honestly an inspiration
00:10:22.32\00:10:24.09
to other people
longing for freedom,
00:10:24.09\00:10:26.69
in spite of that,
00:10:26.69\00:10:28.06
Spinoza experienced
more than a bit of trouble
00:10:28.06\00:10:30.46
when his synagogue in
Amsterdam rejected his ideas
00:10:30.46\00:10:34.60
and
excommunicated him back in 1654.
00:10:34.60\00:10:38.47
From that point on,
00:10:38.47\00:10:39.90
he had to earn his
living as a lens grinder,
00:10:39.90\00:10:41.84
which likely led to
his early death at 45
00:10:41.84\00:10:44.91
because of all
the dust from glass
00:10:44.91\00:10:46.84
that he inhaled on the job.
00:10:46.84\00:10:49.58
And why was
Spinoza excommunicated?
00:10:49.58\00:10:52.55
It was because of his
views of the universe.
00:10:52.55\00:10:55.22
Spinoza didn't
believe in a personal God,
00:10:55.22\00:10:58.09
but identified God
with nature itself,
00:10:58.09\00:11:00.92
a way of thinking
about the universe
00:11:00.92\00:11:02.69
that we often call pantheism,
00:11:02.69\00:11:05.06
as in God is everything
and everything is God.
00:11:05.06\00:11:08.70
Spinoza often
referred to something
00:11:08.70\00:11:10.47
he called the God of nature,
00:11:10.47\00:11:13.23
and what he meant by that
00:11:13.23\00:11:14.97
is an immovable
underlying reality
00:11:14.97\00:11:17.84
behind the universe.
00:11:17.84\00:11:19.87
God, he said, was the
substance of the universe,
00:11:19.87\00:11:23.28
and he used that
word quite deliberately
00:11:23.28\00:11:25.21
because substance means
that which stands underneath.
00:11:25.21\00:11:29.65
Everything around
us, Spinoza taught,
00:11:29.65\00:11:31.55
is just a mode of
the ultimate reality
00:11:31.55\00:11:34.92
and that would
include you and me.
00:11:34.92\00:11:37.19
We are just seemingly
individual expressions
00:11:37.19\00:11:39.89
of that ultimate substance,
00:11:39.89\00:11:41.40
but our
individuality, he argued,
00:11:41.40\00:11:44.40
is really an illusion.
00:11:44.40\00:11:45.77
Of course, that perspective
00:11:47.07\00:11:48.67
was decidedly
unwelcome at the synagogue
00:11:48.67\00:11:50.97
because both Orthodox
Christians and Jews insisted
00:11:50.97\00:11:54.41
that God is not identical
with the material universe.
00:11:54.41\00:11:58.65
The Bible teaches that God
is transcendent and personal.
00:11:58.65\00:12:03.28
He exists in His own right,
00:12:03.28\00:12:04.72
quite apart from the creation,
00:12:04.72\00:12:06.89
but that's not
what Spinoza believed.
00:12:06.89\00:12:09.12
And so, the
synagogue became worried
00:12:09.12\00:12:10.86
that their otherwise
tolerant Christian neighbors
00:12:10.86\00:12:13.56
and charitable Dutch hosts
00:12:13.56\00:12:15.93
might actually
turn against them.
00:12:15.93\00:12:17.97
So they offered to pay
Spinoza an annual salary
00:12:17.97\00:12:21.10
to keep his mouth shut,
00:12:21.10\00:12:23.61
but when they failed
to secure his cooperation,
00:12:23.61\00:12:26.21
they just kicked him
out of the synagogue.
00:12:26.21\00:12:28.84
Now, if you actually
wanna read Spinoza's philosophy,
00:12:28.84\00:12:32.35
you're gonna have to set
aside a little bit of time,
00:12:32.35\00:12:34.62
especially if you
wanna read the ethics,
00:12:34.62\00:12:36.89
which is easily his
most important work.
00:12:36.89\00:12:40.22
Not only is this
really dense material
00:12:40.22\00:12:42.72
that will demand a
lot of your attention,
00:12:42.72\00:12:45.29
it's also written
in a mathematical style
00:12:45.29\00:12:47.73
as if philosophy can be
discussed with geometric
00:12:47.73\00:12:52.37
precision. In the spirit of the
famous mathematician, Euclid,
00:12:52.37\00:12:55.47
Spinoza's
philosophy was presented
00:12:55.47\00:12:57.44
as a series of
definitions, axioms and proofs.
00:12:57.44\00:13:01.68
So it's not
exactly a relaxing read,
00:13:01.68\00:13:05.05
but it has been
influential enough
00:13:05.05\00:13:07.02
that it's probably important
00:13:07.02\00:13:08.25
to make a note
of his basic ideas
00:13:08.25\00:13:10.35
and what they imply about
the nature of human free will.
00:13:10.35\00:13:14.22
Basically, Spinoza didn't
believe that free will exists.
00:13:15.62\00:13:18.43
He said that the universe
is based on an immutable law,
00:13:18.43\00:13:22.23
the law of nature,
00:13:22.23\00:13:23.90
which he also referred to as
God in a very impersonal sense.
00:13:23.90\00:13:28.64
He taught that you and I
are just being carried along
00:13:28.64\00:13:31.04
without any real
freedom to choose.
00:13:31.04\00:13:33.61
This is really the
ultimate work of determinism.
00:13:33.61\00:13:36.75
And if it wasn't such
brutally tedious reading,
00:13:36.75\00:13:39.61
I'd be tempted to read a
little bit of this to you,
00:13:39.61\00:13:42.35
but I think I'll
spare you the boredom
00:13:42.35\00:13:43.82
and try to give you a thumbnail
sketch of what it says.
00:13:43.82\00:13:47.56
In essence, Spinoza
believed that everything that is
00:13:47.56\00:13:50.66
and everything that happens,
00:13:50.66\00:13:52.79
well, everything's exactly
the way that it's supposed to be
00:13:52.79\00:13:55.43
and there's nothing
you can do to change that.
00:13:55.43\00:13:58.80
The law of nature is
simply the law of nature
00:13:58.80\00:14:01.44
and there's nothing you
can do to fight against that.
00:14:01.44\00:14:04.31
The best we can do is understand
our place in the world
00:14:04.31\00:14:07.61
and harmonize our
thinking with the law of nature
00:14:07.61\00:14:10.51
if we wanna find
greater happiness.
00:14:10.51\00:14:13.95
The idea that we can
actually make choices though,
00:14:13.95\00:14:16.89
well, Spinoza said
that's not possible
00:14:16.89\00:14:19.49
except for the matter of how
we choose to think about life.
00:14:19.49\00:14:23.89
Now, to help make sense of this,
00:14:23.89\00:14:25.66
we should probably
make a note of the fact
00:14:25.66\00:14:27.66
that lots of
other prominent thinkers
00:14:27.66\00:14:29.43
were saying there's a
fundamental difference
00:14:29.43\00:14:31.17
between your mind and your body.
00:14:31.17\00:14:33.57
There are two
separate and distinct realms,
00:14:33.57\00:14:35.67
which are the
physical and the spiritual,
00:14:35.67\00:14:38.77
but Spinoza said those
two things are the same.
00:14:38.77\00:14:41.51
Your mind is your body
and your body is your mind.
00:14:41.51\00:14:44.78
And then, he suggested the
same thing was true about God.
00:14:44.78\00:14:47.92
He said that the universe
was actually God's body,
00:14:47.92\00:14:51.69
which is one of the ideas
that got him excommunicated.
00:14:51.69\00:14:55.29
All we can hope to
do, Spinoza argued,
00:14:55.29\00:14:57.43
is find a
little bit of happiness
00:14:57.43\00:14:59.66
by better understanding
the nature of the universe
00:14:59.66\00:15:02.63
and then aligning
ourselves with that nature.
00:15:02.63\00:15:05.47
Whatever happened in the
past was predetermined, he said,
00:15:05.47\00:15:08.10
and whatever happens in the
future is also predetermined.
00:15:08.10\00:15:11.64
You and I are just part
00:15:11.64\00:15:12.97
of this
mathematically precise machine
00:15:12.97\00:15:15.61
and that will never change.
00:15:15.61\00:15:17.58
You are not
free to change things
00:15:17.58\00:15:19.81
and everything you experience
00:15:19.81\00:15:21.42
is the product of
unseen causes that drive you.
00:15:21.42\00:15:24.52
You are, to put it simply,
a puppet of the universe.
00:15:24.52\00:15:28.89
It's the same thing
00:15:28.89\00:15:30.06
that some
psychologists are saying today.
00:15:30.06\00:15:32.56
You and I don't really
have free will, they suggest,
00:15:32.56\00:15:35.56
it just seems like we do.
00:15:35.56\00:15:37.67
We might think we
make conscious decisions,
00:15:37.67\00:15:40.70
but we're never completely
aware of all the unseen causes
00:15:40.70\00:15:44.14
that lead us to
make those decisions.
00:15:44.14\00:15:46.74
Your genetics play a role,
00:15:46.74\00:15:48.14
your past
experience plays a role,
00:15:48.14\00:15:50.15
your biology plays a role,
00:15:50.15\00:15:52.31
and you're mostly
unaware of those influences.
00:15:52.31\00:15:55.25
Most of the time, ideas
just seem to pop into your head,
00:15:55.25\00:15:58.55
but you'd be at a loss to
explain why you got those ideas
00:15:58.55\00:16:02.09
and exactly
where they came from.
00:16:02.09\00:16:04.66
It's determinism
00:16:04.66\00:16:06.19
and it leads to a
serious moral problem
00:16:06.19\00:16:08.53
if you're going to choose
to believe that it's true,
00:16:08.53\00:16:11.27
because if there is no
free will, no real moral agency,
00:16:11.27\00:16:15.57
then how in the
world can you hope
00:16:15.57\00:16:17.07
to hold other people
responsible for their actions?
00:16:17.07\00:16:21.08
That's a
question worth exploring
00:16:21.08\00:16:22.54
because to some extent,
00:16:22.54\00:16:24.01
there is some truth to
what these people are saying.
00:16:24.01\00:16:26.98
You and I aren't
even remotely aware
00:16:26.98\00:16:29.48
of what our brains are
doing at any given moment
00:16:29.48\00:16:32.19
and we do operate on autopilot
00:16:32.19\00:16:34.49
an awful lot of the time.
00:16:34.49\00:16:36.52
Most of the things
you do every single day
00:16:36.52\00:16:38.66
do not require you
to think about them.
00:16:38.66\00:16:41.16
For example, you don't make a
conscious decision to breathe,
00:16:41.16\00:16:45.33
although you could do
that if you wanted to.
00:16:45.33\00:16:47.90
And you don't make a decision
00:16:47.90\00:16:49.30
to digest your
food or blink your eyes.
00:16:49.30\00:16:52.31
Those things just
happen automatically
00:16:52.31\00:16:54.84
and that's a good thing
00:16:54.84\00:16:56.38
because if you did have
to make a conscious decision
00:16:56.38\00:16:58.81
about every little
thing your body does
00:16:58.81\00:17:00.82
right down to
the cellular level,
00:17:00.82\00:17:03.65
well, that would
make a mess of you
00:17:03.65\00:17:05.35
and you'd be
incapable of actually living.
00:17:05.35\00:17:08.49
So instead, most of what we do
00:17:08.49\00:17:10.79
happens in the
background of our brains,
00:17:10.79\00:17:12.96
leaving us free to make
decisions about the big stuff,
00:17:12.96\00:17:16.16
the stuff that goes into
living an authentic human life.
00:17:16.16\00:17:20.04
Now, what
determinants will tell you
00:17:20.04\00:17:22.24
is that your conscious decisions
00:17:22.24\00:17:23.87
are also happening on autopilot
00:17:23.87\00:17:26.37
and you're being
deceived into thinking
00:17:26.37\00:17:28.18
that you're
making those decisions.
00:17:28.18\00:17:30.58
But that's exactly
where the determinants
00:17:30.58\00:17:33.18
and the Bible part company.
00:17:33.18\00:17:35.05
What I find in the Bible
00:17:36.18\00:17:38.09
appears to be a more realistic
view of human moral agency.
00:17:38.09\00:17:41.99
It seems to match
our actual experience
00:17:41.99\00:17:44.73
better than this idea
that we're all just puppets
00:17:44.73\00:17:47.13
having our strings
pulled involuntarily.
00:17:47.13\00:17:49.80
And the Bible does agree
00:17:49.80\00:17:51.77
that a lot of what you
choose to do in this life
00:17:51.77\00:17:53.97
is the product, not of
deliberate rational thought,
00:17:53.97\00:17:57.84
but of unseen influences
taking place in the background.
00:17:57.84\00:18:00.98
Let me show you what I
mean now from the words of Jesus
00:18:00.98\00:18:03.68
where He says, for out of
the abundance of the heart,
00:18:03.68\00:18:06.65
the mouth speaks.
00:18:06.65\00:18:08.12
A good man out of the
good treasure of his heart
00:18:08.12\00:18:10.75
brings forth good things
00:18:10.75\00:18:12.55
and an evil man out
of the evil treasure
00:18:12.55\00:18:15.16
brings forth evil things.
00:18:15.16\00:18:17.29
In other words, there are
subconscious autonomic processes
00:18:18.66\00:18:22.00
that drive you to do
the things that you do
00:18:22.00\00:18:24.07
and to say the
things that you say.
00:18:24.07\00:18:26.60
But at the same time,
00:18:26.60\00:18:28.20
the Bible still makes us
responsible for our behavior,
00:18:28.20\00:18:31.81
why? Because we're
the ones who program
00:18:31.81\00:18:33.71
those automatic
responses in the first place.
00:18:33.71\00:18:37.15
All right, I've gotta
take another quick break,
00:18:37.15\00:18:39.41
but I'll be
right back after this.
00:18:39.41\00:18:41.62
- [Announcer] Here at
The Voice of Prophecy,
00:18:44.59\00:18:46.05
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:18:46.05\00:18:48.59
for the whole family
00:18:48.59\00:18:50.03
like our audio adventure
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00:18:50.03\00:18:53.16
"Discovery Mountain"
is a bible-based program
00:18:53.16\00:18:55.66
for kids of all
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00:18:55.66\00:18:58.00
Your family will enjoy
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00:18:58.00\00:19:00.77
from this small
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With 24 seasonal
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00:19:03.61\00:19:06.14
and fresh content every week,
00:19:06.14\00:19:08.28
there's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:19:08.28\00:19:11.48
- The determinists tell
us that the physical universe
00:19:14.68\00:19:17.92
predetermines how you think,
00:19:17.92\00:19:20.26
that your thoughts
are really a product
00:19:20.26\00:19:21.86
of who or what you are.
00:19:21.86\00:19:23.86
Into a tiny little
degree, in some ways,
00:19:23.86\00:19:26.39
the Bible kind
of agrees with that,
00:19:26.39\00:19:29.16
but it also presents
the opposite point of view.
00:19:30.37\00:19:32.97
It says that you and
I become what we think.
00:19:32.97\00:19:36.67
For example, Proverbs
23 verse seven tells us
00:19:36.67\00:19:40.44
for as he thinks in
his heart, so is he.
00:19:40.44\00:19:44.31
In other words,
how you choose to think
00:19:44.31\00:19:46.75
ultimately changes who you are,
00:19:46.75\00:19:49.38
and over the long run
that can lead to changes
00:19:49.38\00:19:52.02
in your fundamental makeup.
00:19:52.02\00:19:54.19
That's the opposite
of what Spinoza taught.
00:19:54.19\00:19:57.53
Just before the break,
00:19:57.53\00:19:58.99
we looked at the words of
Jesus who blamed bad behavior
00:19:58.99\00:20:01.33
on the information we
choose to put in our brains.
00:20:01.33\00:20:05.23
Of course, that means
00:20:05.23\00:20:06.53
there are a lot of
subconscious processes going on
00:20:06.53\00:20:09.67
every time you make a decision
00:20:09.67\00:20:11.67
and most of us aren't even close
00:20:11.67\00:20:14.11
to understanding
all the factors at play.
00:20:14.11\00:20:17.21
But it's also
true that we placed
00:20:17.21\00:20:19.71
a lot of those unconscious
influences in our minds
00:20:19.71\00:20:23.35
through conscious choices.
00:20:23.35\00:20:25.05
That's why the Bible suggests
00:20:26.22\00:20:27.76
that you guard the gates
of your heart very carefully,
00:20:27.76\00:20:30.86
that you be careful
about what kinds of information
00:20:30.86\00:20:33.73
you allow yourself to absorb
00:20:33.73\00:20:36.16
because at some point,
00:20:36.16\00:20:37.63
that information
is going to resurface
00:20:37.63\00:20:40.04
and it will become
an unconscious factor
00:20:40.04\00:20:43.10
in the decisions
you're making in the future.
00:20:43.10\00:20:45.91
And yeah, it can
feel like you're helpless
00:20:45.91\00:20:49.38
and being driven by
uncontrollable instinct,
00:20:49.38\00:20:52.28
which is why Jesus
said in John eight verse 34
00:20:52.28\00:20:55.05
that whoever commits
sin is a slave of sin.
00:20:55.05\00:20:59.79
It's why David
said in Psalm 101,
00:20:59.79\00:21:02.49
"I will set nothing
wicked before my eyes.
00:21:02.49\00:21:05.09
I hate the work of
those who fall away,
00:21:05.09\00:21:07.40
it shall not clinging to me."
00:21:07.40\00:21:10.20
Sometimes it might seem
like you don't have a choice,
00:21:10.20\00:21:13.50
that you're being carried along
00:21:13.50\00:21:14.84
by forces that are
out of your control,
00:21:14.84\00:21:17.07
but that's because you already
made a choice a long time ago
00:21:17.07\00:21:22.04
and now you've
programmed your brain
00:21:22.04\00:21:23.71
to do the same thing
over and over and over again.
00:21:23.71\00:21:28.12
So while determinists say
that free will is an illusion,
00:21:28.12\00:21:32.22
I wanna suggest that
it's the other way around.
00:21:32.22\00:21:35.16
Determinism is the illusion.
00:21:35.16\00:21:37.66
You are not necessarily locked
into the life that you have
00:21:37.66\00:21:41.06
and you do have the
power to make real choices.
00:21:41.06\00:21:44.17
You can change the programming.
00:21:44.17\00:21:46.47
That's not to
say that everything
00:21:47.67\00:21:48.94
that happens to you
is somehow your fault
00:21:48.94\00:21:50.81
because that's also
not necessarily true.
00:21:50.81\00:21:53.88
There are some
factors that you didn't choose
00:21:53.88\00:21:56.41
that shaped who you are today,
00:21:56.41\00:21:58.05
like the childhood you had
00:21:58.05\00:22:00.08
or the genetic traits you
picked up from your parents.
00:22:00.08\00:22:03.28
But that doesn't mean
you're a helpless puppet
00:22:03.28\00:22:05.35
the way that some
people would suggest.
00:22:05.35\00:22:07.82
You might not be able to
control what happens to you,
00:22:07.82\00:22:11.63
but you can make
meaningful choices
00:22:11.63\00:22:13.50
about what you're
going to do about it.
00:22:13.50\00:22:15.96
It's right at this point
00:22:15.96\00:22:17.37
that
determinism hits a roadblock
00:22:17.37\00:22:19.13
when you compare it to reality.
00:22:19.13\00:22:21.57
If nobody is really
making any conscious choices
00:22:21.57\00:22:24.47
and everything they do
is somehow predetermined,
00:22:24.47\00:22:27.68
well then there would
be no such thing as evil.
00:22:27.68\00:22:30.11
I mean, if the
determinists are right,
00:22:30.11\00:22:32.65
then Jeffrey
Dahmer had no choice
00:22:32.65\00:22:34.72
when it came to killing
and eating those people,
00:22:34.72\00:22:37.15
we probably just
need to accept that.
00:22:37.15\00:22:39.59
And of course, I have no doubt
00:22:39.59\00:22:41.56
that Dahmer suffered
from environmental influences,
00:22:41.56\00:22:44.06
that he was somehow a product
of his childhood experience,
00:22:44.06\00:22:48.50
but to suggest
that he had no choice
00:22:48.50\00:22:50.43
but to commit those crimes,
00:22:50.43\00:22:52.50
do we really wanna believe that?
00:22:52.50\00:22:54.87
If that was true,
00:22:54.87\00:22:56.34
would there be any
point to punishment ever?
00:22:56.34\00:22:59.71
If nobody has
meaningful choices,
00:22:59.71\00:23:01.48
how could you hold
anybody morally culpable
00:23:01.48\00:23:04.28
for what they do?
00:23:04.28\00:23:05.45
Just listen to what it says
00:23:06.55\00:23:07.78
over in Proverbs
22 in verse eight
00:23:07.78\00:23:09.88
because it completely disagrees
00:23:09.88\00:23:12.72
with the idea
that you're helpless.
00:23:12.72\00:23:14.69
It says, he who sows
iniquity will reap sorrow
00:23:14.69\00:23:18.49
and the rod of
his anger will fail.
00:23:18.49\00:23:21.76
The book of Isaiah suggests
00:23:21.76\00:23:23.16
that this principle
works in two directions
00:23:23.16\00:23:25.10
where it says this.
00:23:25.10\00:23:26.80
Sow for
yourselves righteousness,
00:23:26.80\00:23:29.24
reap in mercy.
00:23:29.24\00:23:31.77
Now instinctively, most
of us would agree with that,
00:23:31.77\00:23:34.71
we reap what we sow,
00:23:34.71\00:23:36.28
it just seems
like human nature 101.
00:23:36.28\00:23:38.98
But the
determinants will tell you
00:23:38.98\00:23:40.48
that that's just an illusion.
00:23:40.48\00:23:41.82
You didn't really
decide to do right or wrong
00:23:41.82\00:23:44.39
and the
consequences of your actions
00:23:44.39\00:23:46.49
are just the
laws of the universe.
00:23:46.49\00:23:48.69
You're nothing but a
cog in a great big machine.
00:23:48.69\00:23:51.69
But then you have to ask,
00:23:52.99\00:23:54.50
how just would that universe be?
00:23:54.50\00:23:56.73
Do not be deceived, it
says in the Book of Galatians,
00:23:56.73\00:23:59.67
God is not mocked,
00:23:59.67\00:24:01.24
for whatever a man
sows, that he will also reap.
00:24:01.24\00:24:04.41
For he who sows to his flesh
00:24:04.41\00:24:06.64
will of the
flesh reap corruption,
00:24:06.64\00:24:08.88
but he who sows to the Spirit
00:24:08.88\00:24:10.45
will of the Spirit
reap everlasting life.
00:24:10.45\00:24:13.48
The words of this book
are permeated with the idea
00:24:14.92\00:24:17.39
that you really do
have the power of choice.
00:24:17.39\00:24:20.46
Of course, it also says that
you and I have a fallen nature,
00:24:20.46\00:24:24.63
which means that
we are predisposed
00:24:24.63\00:24:27.00
to corrupting
influences like selfishness.
00:24:27.00\00:24:30.47
And that fallen
nature that we possess
00:24:30.47\00:24:32.43
can seem overwhelming sometimes,
00:24:32.43\00:24:34.87
completely
impossible to overcome
00:24:34.87\00:24:37.34
as if our actions are
completely involuntary.
00:24:37.34\00:24:40.01
But that's when I suddenly
remember the words of Paul
00:24:41.48\00:24:44.15
who gives us an
important solution,
00:24:44.15\00:24:46.61
which I'll show you as soon
as I come back from this break.
00:24:46.61\00:24:49.68
- [Announcer] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:24:53.46\00:24:55.86
Sometimes we don't
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00:24:55.86\00:24:59.23
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:24:59.23\00:25:01.63
It's our guide to a
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00:25:01.63\00:25:04.73
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00:25:08.40\00:25:10.04
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00:25:10.04\00:25:12.54
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- In the book of Romans,
00:25:23.45\00:25:24.55
there's a famous passage
00:25:24.55\00:25:25.89
I'm sure I've
read to you before,
00:25:25.89\00:25:27.39
but in the context of
studying free moral agency,
00:25:27.39\00:25:30.69
I think we
should look at it again.
00:25:30.69\00:25:32.39
Here's what Paul says.
00:25:32.39\00:25:34.46
I find then a law that
evil is present with me,
00:25:34.46\00:25:37.57
the one who wills to do good.
00:25:37.57\00:25:39.73
For I delight in the law of God
00:25:39.73\00:25:41.37
according to the inward man.
00:25:41.37\00:25:43.27
But I see
another law in my members
00:25:43.27\00:25:44.97
warring against
the law of my mind
00:25:44.97\00:25:47.14
and bringing me into captivity
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to the law of sin,
which is in my members.
00:25:48.81\00:25:51.45
O wretched man that I am.
00:25:51.45\00:25:53.35
Who will deliver me
from this body of death?
00:25:53.35\00:25:56.08
I thank God through
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
00:25:56.08\00:26:00.16
So yeah, there's a
law work in this universe
00:26:00.16\00:26:02.22
and it's very powerful.
00:26:02.22\00:26:03.86
You and I often
find ourselves powerless
00:26:03.86\00:26:06.23
to become the
person we want to be,
00:26:06.23\00:26:08.36
to live the life we want to live
00:26:08.36\00:26:10.53
and many of us are horrified
00:26:10.53\00:26:12.17
by the darkness that
seems to lurk in our hearts.
00:26:12.17\00:26:15.27
Our fallen nature seems
completely impossible to beat.
00:26:15.27\00:26:18.67
And so in that regard,
00:26:18.67\00:26:20.48
I'd have to give
Spinoza high marks.
00:26:20.48\00:26:22.44
There is some kind of
force that carries us along,
00:26:22.44\00:26:25.51
determining the choices we make.
00:26:25.51\00:26:27.68
He called that God or nature,
00:26:27.68\00:26:30.39
but the Bible calls it sin.
00:26:30.39\00:26:32.65
And if you have no
moral choice at all,
00:26:32.65\00:26:34.49
then there is no
such thing as sin.
00:26:34.49\00:26:36.19
There is no such thing as
holding people accountable,
00:26:36.19\00:26:38.39
not if they can't help it.
00:26:38.39\00:26:40.30
But the way the
Bible talks about sin,
00:26:41.36\00:26:43.67
it's not okay.
00:26:43.67\00:26:45.33
Even though sin is
an overwhelming force,
00:26:45.33\00:26:47.24
a very dark
influence on your thinking,
00:26:47.24\00:26:49.57
there is a way out.
00:26:49.57\00:26:51.07
"Who will deliver me from
this body of death," Paul asked,
00:26:51.07\00:26:54.28
"I thank God through
Jesus Christ, our Lord."
00:26:54.28\00:26:58.01
You might actually be
powerless to change who you are,
00:26:58.01\00:27:00.45
to change the way you think,
00:27:00.45\00:27:02.18
but I can assure you God is not.
00:27:02.18\00:27:04.49
Look, I really
respect the work of Spinoza,
00:27:04.49\00:27:07.49
particularly when
it comes to his views
00:27:07.49\00:27:09.29
on the importance of
religious and personal liberty
00:27:09.29\00:27:12.23
and he was
obviously smarter than me,
00:27:12.23\00:27:14.83
but our
day-to-day reality screams,
00:27:14.83\00:27:16.83
no, we are not puppets
00:27:16.83\00:27:18.33
and there's got to be
something better than this.
00:27:18.33\00:27:21.17
And that's when we find
another view of human nature
00:27:21.17\00:27:23.97
that actually offers us hope.
00:27:23.97\00:27:26.17
Spinoza said hope is pointless
00:27:26.17\00:27:28.21
and he scoffed the idea
that such a thing exists, why?
00:27:28.21\00:27:31.48
Because he thought there's
no way to change the future.
00:27:31.48\00:27:34.62
But this book disagrees
00:27:34.62\00:27:36.52
and it doesn't just offer hope,
00:27:36.52\00:27:38.52
it offers an awful lot of it.
00:27:38.52\00:27:40.86
And personally, I'm
still finding every day
00:27:40.86\00:27:42.96
that as
interesting as Spinoza was
00:27:42.96\00:27:45.33
and he was interesting,
00:27:45.33\00:27:47.13
this book appears to be a
much closer match for reality.
00:27:47.13\00:27:51.93
Thanks for joining me this week.
00:27:51.93\00:27:53.30
I'm Shawn Boonstra
00:27:53.30\00:27:54.74
and this has been "Authentic."
00:27:54.74\00:27:57.21
[slow country music]
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