Comments below...
From a sociological POV this question has vast implications, and always has, in how we approach society's sense of justice in our legal system. It wasn't long ago that we hanged an elephant for killing a man. Today we have people on death row who were not mentally able to make a choice, so this topic is very up as we learn more about the brain and how it creates sociopaths. I believe that this information may lead to a more just humane society where we don't sentence people with a wink wink to getting raped in prison for their "choice" to commit a crime. I guess I'm not that idealistic. I think there are people out there in the world who read the news reports about Oklahoma's recent "botched execution" and felt GOOD that the prisoner suffered. I don't see them altering these views in any way as a result of "some kind of science" trying to convince them that there is no free will. Probably not, but on the other hand such people are most likely a small minority, not nearly enough for their view to determine how society treats criminals. The outrage over that execution was worldwide. From a personal POV I find the question insightful as I attempt to approach making personal changes in my life. In my experience, self improvement of any kind is like herding cats. I certainly can't disagree with that. One of the things about FFL that amuses me the most is the proliferation of people who claim to believe that "God does everything" and that there is no free will, but somehow *them* having decided to learn TM and continue doing it makes them "special." :-) Aside from the fact that a "proliferation of people" is Barry's fantasy, many of us just feel exceedingly lucky to have stumbled across TM and taken a flyer on it. The "feeling special" part, in the sense of taking credit for oneself, is also Barry's fantasy. But in any case, those who believe "God does everything" might well feel "special"--i.e., blessed--because God led them to TM.
