Throughout history, the belief in one’s freedom has been met with the obstinacy that it doesn’t actually exist, whether it’s through adopting fatalistic perspectives or any one of the many variations of determinism. Perhaps today we are not willing to believe that our cosmic destiny is unescapable, but there have been countless opinions that use science findings to argue that we’re mere puppets at the mercy of our DNA or beings governed by neuronal impulses. A mass of atoms impossible to control.
That said, no matter how much a CT scan can show us which area of the brain is activated when we make a decision, something tells us, according to Kennon Sheldon, professor of psychology at the University of Missouri, that we are the ones who choose right or left at the fork in the road. In other words, the best demonstration of freedom is our personal experience, the inner conviction that there is an “I” that activates our brain. Because the actions belong to “someone” and it is that someone who is responsible for them, for better or worse.
Even when everything seems to conspire to tell us otherwise, the loophole of free will appears. The Stoics taught that being free consisted in accepting – voluntarily – the universe’s will for us. Viktor Frankl also warned that not even the cold and inhuman hell of Auschwitz can corrode the possibility of facing what happens to us as we wish, no matter how tragic it may be.
Conditioned beings
Sheldon has spent years exploring the way individuals make decisions for themselves. He now briefly lays out the fruit of his labor in “Freely Determined” (Basic Books), a book published late last year. His interest does not lie in offering thoughtful arguments to defend the existence of free will; Rather, he seeks, above all, to study its effects on the life and well-being of individuals.
On the one hand, he points out, determinism oversimplifies the decision-making process. To support his argument, he uses the example of a car: It rolls thanks to the engine and connecting shafts, but without the driver it could go very few places. Similarly, we must take into account a subject’s intention to understand their actions.
On the other hand, the circumstances to which people are subjected – from illnesses to the social or cultural context in which they are educated – make it foolish to isolate, as the cause of their actions, a single or definitive determinant. Human beings set their minds on things, we deliberate on how to achieve them, we succeed…or we make mistakes on the way. But all of this is integrated into a process that is never completely rational, nor is it ever sufficiently seamless; There are variables, such as the state of health or the climate situation, that influence our actions, without determining them entirely, though.
The multiple circumstances to which people are subjected make it foolish to isolate one single or definitive determinant as the cause of their actions
This conclusion suggests that freedom is as much of a wonder as it sometimes is a puzzle; a mystery, in short, that scientific determinism runs aground again and again, says Sheldon.
The damage of determinism
It may seem, in any case, that trusting determinism makes life easier or less stressful. Freedom implies risk and can cause vertigo, so there’s nothing better than choosing a path that lessens our personal responsibility.
Most of the scientific literature on the subject, however, paints a different picture: the repercussions of determinism are negative. K. Vohs and J. Schooler, who have carried out multiple experiments on the subject, claim that those who believe that freedom is a mirage are less successful in their careers and are more prone to depression or inflicting harm on others. Their self-esteem is also damaged.
“Determinism,” explains Sheldon, “tends to make individuals less competent, less happy and less ethical (…) There are many essays that show that telling people that their life is predetermined negatively affects their existence in various ways.” On the contrary, convincing them that they have free will increases their well-being and their sense of happiness.
Sheldon follows in the footsteps of Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology, a current focused on researching the emotional building blocks of happiness. Despite criticism, the approach has forced many researchers to focus not so much on the pathological as on the study of fulfillment and satisfaction, a dimension that, unfortunately, moral philosophy had also sidelined.
Those who think that freedom is a mirage are less successful in their careers and are more prone to depression or inflicting harm on others
A life with meaning
Despite his defense of free will, Sheldon does not fall into oversimplification, that, regardless of the circumstances, if one believes that one is happy and free, one will be. According to Sheldon, undoubtedly, believing in one’s freedom is positive, but not because said certainty releases endorphins, but because we really are the cause behind our actions. And precisely when these actions are good, we feel satisfied and cross the threshold that leads us to happiness.
Like many other authors, from Aristotle to Kieran Setiya, Sheldon also explains that well-being is found in choosing meaningful actions, that is, activities that have value in themselves. His research in this field, through studying real, breathing individuals, allows him to affirm that intrinsic motivation -doing things because we want to do them- and aspiring to worthwhile actions, regardless of their usefulness or what we can gain from them, is one of the main shortcuts to achieve fulfilment.
Sheldon, who continually reenforces our actions define who we are, recommends being more reflective before choosing one thing over another, never losing sight of noble ideals and what is good. He also adds a very interesting reflection: perhaps it’s time to think about happiness not as the consequence or the result we obtain when life’s going well, but rather, our happiness is precisely what makes things in life go well.
Translated from Spanish by Lucia K. Maher