Review of Free will, do you have it?
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Emma Hancock
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- Latest Review: Free will, do you have it? by Albertus Kral
Review of Free will, do you have it?
[Following is a volunteer review of "Free will, do you have it?" by Albertus Kral.]
The concept of free-will has long been debated amongst philosophers, old and new. In his work, Free Will, Do You Have It?, Albertus Kral attempts to imitate a Cartesian style of self-reflection and introspection to share his thoughts on the subject. While his devotion to the material and to his quest for answers is obvious and admirable throughout his work, Kral fails to deliver any truly thought-provoking advances to this classic philosophical query. He not only adopts an arrogant and condescending attitude about discussions with peers and others, but also makes many claims about complex scientific processes without providing any support or evidence. Though it does not provide the deep philosophical examination of personal authority that it promises, Free Will, Do You Have It? acts as an accessible introduction into an individual’s ponderings on free-will, for this I will rate it 2 out of 4 stars.
In the first chapter of his work, Albertus Kral maintains that human beings do not possess free will. He claims that there is no free will, “there is only will” and the subliminal stimuli that cause actions. For the sake of his argument, free will is defined as choices made without any outside influence. He argues that human choices are nothing more than the result of a collection of stimuli that individuals acquire. While the explanation of basic concepts such as a rigid definition of free-will eventually become clear, the reader must wade through countless personal examples and fabricated scenarios that are tailored to fit Kral’s lackluster argument. He uses convoluted numerical examples loosely based off other major philosophical discussions (2+2=4 or 5) that are utterly unnecessary, underdeveloped, and do nothing more than confuse and manipulate the reader. Many of these numbers are wholly arbitrary and are not explained fully until several chapters after they are introduced. Similarly, Kral makes many claims about functions of the brain that are academically suspect. At best, Kral only manages to demonstrate that outside stimuli influence the way people think and act.
In chapter 3, Albertus Kral introduces his theory of “procirclism.” He explains this term as the constant interaction amongst the brain and different stimuli. He fails to distinguish this from determinism by arguing that nothing is determined in “procirclism” yet claiming that choice is an illusion. Later in his musings, Kral maintains that every action that one takes is “already determined” by the specific stimuli our brains collect and the process that then happens. Determinism is not the same thing as pre-determinism (fate or destiny) as he seems to believe. Though he manages to illustrate the relationship between the brain and a person’s experiences, even managing to convince the reader of the effects that all stimuli has on all later stimuli, this phenomenon does not depart from theories of determinism to provide the philosophical punch that Kral intended.
Though Albertus Kral believes to have created an argument against the existence of free-will, he more accurately just illustrated the relationship between an individual and their experiences, the effects that similar stimuli have on different people, and the resulting actions of these stimuli. While the attempt at a fresh look at free-will is refreshing, Kral delivers nothing more than a watered-down version of determinism mixed with some pseudo-psychological ideas. This book is entertaining if you want a basic introduction into concepts like free-will and determinism and can overlook the creative discretion claiming scientific discovery.
******
Free will, do you have it?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The concept of free-will has long been debated amongst philosophers, old and new. In his work, Free Will, Do You Have It?, Albertus Kral attempts to imitate a Cartesian style of self-reflection and introspection to share his thoughts on the subject. While his devotion to the material and to his quest for answers is obvious and admirable throughout his work, Kral fails to deliver any truly thought-provoking advances to this classic philosophical query. He not only adopts an arrogant and condescending attitude about discussions with peers and others, but also makes many claims about complex scientific processes without providing any support or evidence. Though it does not provide the deep philosophical examination of personal authority that it promises, Free Will, Do You Have It? acts as an accessible introduction into an individual’s ponderings on free-will, for this I will rate it 2 out of 4 stars.
In the first chapter of his work, Albertus Kral maintains that human beings do not possess free will. He claims that there is no free will, “there is only will” and the subliminal stimuli that cause actions. For the sake of his argument, free will is defined as choices made without any outside influence. He argues that human choices are nothing more than the result of a collection of stimuli that individuals acquire. While the explanation of basic concepts such as a rigid definition of free-will eventually become clear, the reader must wade through countless personal examples and fabricated scenarios that are tailored to fit Kral’s lackluster argument. He uses convoluted numerical examples loosely based off other major philosophical discussions (2+2=4 or 5) that are utterly unnecessary, underdeveloped, and do nothing more than confuse and manipulate the reader. Many of these numbers are wholly arbitrary and are not explained fully until several chapters after they are introduced. Similarly, Kral makes many claims about functions of the brain that are academically suspect. At best, Kral only manages to demonstrate that outside stimuli influence the way people think and act.
In chapter 3, Albertus Kral introduces his theory of “procirclism.” He explains this term as the constant interaction amongst the brain and different stimuli. He fails to distinguish this from determinism by arguing that nothing is determined in “procirclism” yet claiming that choice is an illusion. Later in his musings, Kral maintains that every action that one takes is “already determined” by the specific stimuli our brains collect and the process that then happens. Determinism is not the same thing as pre-determinism (fate or destiny) as he seems to believe. Though he manages to illustrate the relationship between the brain and a person’s experiences, even managing to convince the reader of the effects that all stimuli has on all later stimuli, this phenomenon does not depart from theories of determinism to provide the philosophical punch that Kral intended.
Though Albertus Kral believes to have created an argument against the existence of free-will, he more accurately just illustrated the relationship between an individual and their experiences, the effects that similar stimuli have on different people, and the resulting actions of these stimuli. While the attempt at a fresh look at free-will is refreshing, Kral delivers nothing more than a watered-down version of determinism mixed with some pseudo-psychological ideas. This book is entertaining if you want a basic introduction into concepts like free-will and determinism and can overlook the creative discretion claiming scientific discovery.
******
Free will, do you have it?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Free will, do you have it? by Albertus Kral
