Free Will Explained

How Science and Philosophy Converge to Create a Beautiful Illusion

By Dan Barker

Do we have free will? And if we don’t, why do we think we do? Scientists and philosophers have been battling with this issue for years. In this compelling book, a former Christian minister who is now an internationally recognized authority on atheism addresses these questions.

Dan Barker (author of God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction) suggests a different way of looking at free will. He proposes an understanding of free will that turns it sideways and makes the paradox disappear. As a jazz pianist, he posits that if we can view the world more like jazz than classical music, we will see “free will” as a beautiful improvisation of the human species. He calls it harmonic free will.

“You don’t have to be an expert to notice that the experts disagree about free will,” writes Barker. “Some of them are like feuding theologians. I’m staying out of that boxing match…By stepping outside the ring and looking at it from a fresh angle, from a jazz angle, we can make the whole debate disappear.” Forward by Michael Shermer. Autographed by the author (only available online here)! All royalties for this book purchased here are donated to FFRF.

Paperback. 138 pages.

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**Author donates the royalties from sales of this book to FFRF**