If We Can't Choose, Should We Still Punish?
Let’s say free will is an illusion. Your brain makes decisions before “you” know about them. Every choice follows from prior causes stretching back to the Big Bang. Should we still lock people up? The obvious answer is no. How can you blame someone for something they couldn’t help doing? That’s like punishing a rock for falling. But then I think about deterrence. Even if my decision to steal your bike isn’t “free,” the possibility of getting caught still influences that decision....