Determinism Drives Empathy
Recently I’ve had a few really good conversations about this topic and think now is as good a time as ever to write about it.
My first exposure to determinism as a philosophy was by Sam Harris on the Joe Rogan Experience almost three years ago (maybe 5 years ago; I’ve been listening for a ridiculously long time). In refutation of the idea of free will Harris goes on to explain his position in great detail. Initially when Harris started explaining determinism and his claim that free will is basically an illusion I couldn't help but think, “what the hell is this guy smoking?” But as the conversation progressed and he fleshed out his philosophy my interest in determinism grew exponentially.
From the time most of us were kids we've been indoctrinated with the idea of free will, that you are in charge of your destiny and decision making, that you consciously pick right or wrong. Harris contends that our decision making all hinges on things we were not free to pick; our environment, our genetics, or external experiences, etc... And while this is a pretty simplistic explanation (I’ll link the talk here just a heads up it's an hour long but definitely worth it), just my crude understanding kept this idea percolating for years.
As I kept thinking about it (and disagreed with it to an extent) it became one of the biggest influences on my ability to empathize with others. And while that may not be the central tenant of the philosophy or even what Harris wanted me to get out of his discussion, I feel determinism’s impact on empathy is crucially important. Understanding determinism has allowed me to view people in dramatically different ways. If someone does something terrible to me, or is in a bad situation, or any situation really, I see that they did not pick the life they are leading and I don’t garner any hate towards them. If someone talks about me behind my back I attempt to construct all the things that might have influenced them up to this point that are completely outside of their control. If I were them, under the exact same circumstances I would be talking behind someone’s back as well; I’d be no different. I believe this kind of thought process can be used cross culturally, across social stratifications, with anyone so that others can empathize and cross these apparent boundaries of understanding.
It’s hard trying to explain this kind of philosophy with someone who is a staunch believer in free will, like my dad. He looks at affluent kids and is beside himself as to why they don’t “get their heads out of their asses” and “do something with their life”. It’s difficult to go down this thought process with someone that worked their ass off to get where they’re at in life and tell them that all their decisions were made outside of their conscious control. But I believe that determinism and hard work can be reconciled as does Harris.
First of all determinism is not the same thing as fatalism which is something Harris touches on extensively. Fatalism is basically a “woe is me, everything is determined so if I am meant to be successful it’ll just happen,” which are attributes that are wrongfully attributed to determinism. Determinism means your subconscious is making your decisions way before your conscious brain does. This means that you exist almost completely unaware of determinism’s effects on your decision making and that the illusion of free will remains intact. You can still go through this life trying your hardest as if free will exists, and you should. Because so much of this philosophy exists subconsciously your conscious brain can continue on the path toward self improvement and your goals, just with less ego and more empathy.
This empathetic thinking extends further than interpersonal relationships, you begin to look at all the deficiencies in society and strive to work to change them because you know what a significant effect someone's environment has on them as the develop. You can be more kind to people knowing that by introducing kindness into someone’s life could influence the factors determining their behavior in a positive direction. You can’t hate someone anymore than you could hate a baby. You can treat people not as you want to be treated but as if they were you living another life because, according to determinism, they basically are.
Determinism is a powerful source of empathy and I think crucial to prioritizing social and environmental improvements in an attempt to positively influence generations of people and their thinking.
I’m sure some of you won’t agree with this philosophy in some form or another because that’s been the case in previous conversations. But all I can ask is that you consider it at least as it pertains to the ability to truly empathize and influence your behavior for the better.