In the prologue of Sick Souls, Healthy Minds, Kaag begins by pointing out that for the 19th-century philosopher William James, philosophy wasn’t an academic game or interest; it was life or death. As Kaag writes, James’s entire philosophy “was geared to save a life, his life.” At a time when James was severely struggling with mental battles and debating the purpose of life, he asked himself a question that represents true self-reflection: Is life worth living?
James’s (and Kaag’s) claim, the one that opens the book, is that this existential question is real, raw, and urgent. But it also has a practical answer. The answer isn’t necessarily abstract, but it lives at the level of how we choose to see ourselves, our suffering, and the world around us. For James, the belief in free will, described as the sense that we can choose, orient our attention, and make deliberate choices, becomes the change that is needed to believe that life is worth living. As Kaag summarizes, James made his “first act of free will … to believe in free will.” That act wasn’t simply a philosophical habit, but a real-life commitment and a way of saving himself from despair.
The prologue doesn’t just set up philosophy; it sets up a psychological realization for the reader. Kaag invites us to think: maybe what we need is not new facts or scientific breakthroughs, but a renewed sense of agency, purpose, and existential courage.
Believing in free will: Can it actually change how we experience life?
One of the central ideas suggested by Kaag, following up on James’ philosophy, is that believing we have free will isn’t optional. It might be existentially necessary. But is there evidence that believing in free will actually changes how we live, feel, or respond to life?
What do psychologists and social scientists say?
One longitudinal study from the National Library of Medicine found that belief in free will positively predicted both the presence of meaning in life and the search for meaning, both immediately and months later. If you go through life like every day is a chore, your life will be much more miserable than if you see every day as a gift and live to the fullest to the best of your ability, using your free will.
Following up on that study, another study showed that free-will belief predicted life satisfaction and flourishing (regarding emotional/social/psychological well-being) even two months later. Though the effect was more robust for life satisfaction than for daily positive or negative affect.
On the other hand, some research suggests that the relationship between free-will belief and well-being may be overthrown by a more fundamental psychological factor: a sense of personal control. That is, perhaps what really matters isn’t abstract belief in philosophical free will, but simply feeling like you have control over your life. Once you statistically account for that perceived personal control, the unique effect of free-will belief shrinks considerably.
The scientific evidence supporting the benefits of free will is mixed, but overall suggests that when you change your mindset to believe that you are able to do whatever you please, it improves all aspects of mental well-being. Whether that is due to the sense of free will or personal control, James’ theory stands to be correct in scientific studies.
Philosophical framing: James, meaning, and existential will
From the standpoint of James (as interpreted by Kaag), the belief in free will isn’t just a psychological crutch in life, it's foundational. When James declared his first act of free will to believe in free will, he wasn’t just being romantic: he was trying to anchor his life in something more important that gave him reasoning to keep going. That new viewpoint then shaped his perspective on suffering, death, grief, meaning, morality, and purpose.
In that sense, the belief doesn’t simply mirror inner experience, but it shapes it. It’s like the lens in a new pair of glasses and sometimes, in dark moments, that lens may make all the differenve between suffering and fighting for meaning.
Our Discussion Questions
I believed we had a great discussion in class after my final presentation regarding these discussion questions I provided, and I would love to touch on them here as well!
Do you think believing in free will in the way we just discussed can actually change how we experience life? Personally, I believe it can. I’ve experienced going through life on “auto-pilot,” and I think we are all guilty of that. When you take a second to take in all that is around you and how big a privilege it is to be living your life, and that you don’t have to always be stuck in that never-ending routine, you get to experience that free will to the fullest.
How do you personally respond to the question “Is life worth living?” To me, life is totally worth living! I always try to see the good in every day, and even when things go bad, I think there is a reason behind it all and something better is coming further down the road. I am a religious person, which is why I think that way, but looking at it from all perspectives, I believe it is a great way to approach life. It may be easier said than done, but it can truly change your life.
How This is Still Important - Especially Now
Today, many people live with anxiety, uncertainty, loss, and a continuous sense of meaninglessness. In such a sad world, philosophy for its own sake can feel hopelessly abstract. But what makes Sick Souls, Healthy Minds compelling is that it refuses that abstraction. It insists that philosophy is for living.
As mental-health professionals have noted, beliefs about free will influence not only moral judgments but also how people respond to suffering, whether they perceive themselves as agents of change, and whether psychotherapy emphasizes agency, autonomy, and self-regulation. Recent empirical studies , such as the one showing that free-will belief predicts meaning and goal-seeking, suggest that this old debate still carries practical weight.
So maybe what James and Kaag invite us to do isn’t to solve the some big elaborate puzzle about the true meaning of life. Maybe they invite us to change our own lives by changing our perspective.
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