Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps “Genes & Free Will: Pedophiles, Ozempic & Self-Control” with Prof. Kathryn Paige Harden
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Jan 26, 2026 
Kathryn Paige Harden, psychologist and behavior geneticist at UT Austin and author of The Genetic Lottery, walks through nature versus nurture, polygenic prediction limits, epigenetics, psychedelics and the sense of self, moral luck and blame, and the politics and ethics of using genetics in society. Short, provocative takes on responsibility, punishment, and how biology intersects with policy.
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Book Begins With A Psychedelic Moment
- Kathryn Paige Harden begins her book with a psychedelic trip in the desert with her husband.
- The experience loosened her sense of an 'I' and motivated exploration of free will and agency.
Consciousness As Constructed Construal
- Ordinary consciousness is a biologically constructed construal like hallucinations or dreams.
- Harden uses this to question the solidity of free will and the self.
Causes Shape Moral Judgments
- People react differently to genetic versus environmental causes when judging behavior.
- Harden highlights a cultural intuition that genetic causes feel more stable and inevitable.
