Fate vs Free Will - A Response to Stanford Scientist Who Claims There is NO Free Will

This post is in response to this article.

Deep Shadows

If you have no free will then what's the point of life...?

This scientist is saying the way you make those choices is based on a stacked deck kind of concept where you have more or less a determined type of impulses and if you're more or less impoverished or privileged you'll make them a certain way.

It relies heavily on a cause and effect and life trauma centered point of view - which I have mostly discarded now as someone who enjoys the Adlerian philosophy/psychology over the more trauma informed subconscious victimization route and obviously as someone more well versed in archetypal time quality (astrology).

(Check out the courage to be disliked by Fumitake Koga for more on this viewpoint.) He's a neurobiologist (I think) so he's comparing our chemical reactions in our brains and saying we're like sea slugs that don't decide to wince from a jolt of electricity we don't decide to have reactions to external stimuli.

This feels like it flies in the face of personal growth and accountability... which might be its goal. It is a "hot take" after all.

After reading many spiritually enlightening books it is impossible for me to believe now that identifying with your unhelpful identifying stories (anything that feels dis empowering) is beneficial or leads to a more just society.

(Check out a new earth by Ekhart Tolle, a happy pocket full of money by David Cameron Gikandi and Florence Scoville Shinn's the game of life and how to play it for more . ) My opinion is maybe not palatable at first...

But you are actually responsible for EVERYTHING and knowing astrology helps you know what is supported and what's not.

Also I'm a "conspiracy theorist" especially when US media is involved and this being in LA times and its talking about less responsibility on crime makers is interesting.

I do agree that a proactive approach on crime producing societal issues such as food deserts, access to quality education, and family resources is a better approach, but the actual implementation of these solutions is out of the scope of the article.

What do you think? Do you think the vast majority of people are creating their own reality through choice, subconscious intentions or because of a stacked deck of poverty or privileged neurochemical reactions?

Do you believe in fate vs free will or that you're in control or a "victim"/participant in iron clad cause and effect?