Self Beyond Itself

Few concepts are more unshakable in Western culture than free will. In The Self Beyond Itself, Heidi M. Ravven throws a wrench into this view, calling free will a myth that reflects the still-powerful influence of Christian theology on popular thinking. The book offers a riveting and accessible review of neuro-scientific research into the brain's capacity for decision-making, pointing to the profound, virtually inescapable social influences on moral choices. Ravven shows that it is possible to build a theory of ethics that doesn't rely on free will.