# If Free Will Fails What Happens to Moral Responsibility by Jerry A. Coyne > “If science does in fact confirm that we lack free will, what are the implications for our notions of blame, punishment, reward, and moral responsibility?” > **— Jerry A. Coyne**, *2018 Edge Annual Question, question* ## Sources and Context - **Original Edge response:** [The Last Question — Jerry A. Coyne](https://www.edge.org/response-detail/27541) — Jerry A. Coyne's question in the 2018 Annual Question collection, posed rather than asserted as a conclusion. The Edge response page is the publication record for this exact question. - **Local archival entry:** [[research/Edge 2018 Full Quotation Curation|Edge 2018 Full Quotation Curation]] (EDGE2018-184). ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Edge|Edge]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Consciousness Continuity|Consciousness Continuity]] - **Article:** [[articles/Discussions on the Synthetic Personhood Question|Discussions on the Synthetic Personhood Question]] - **Article:** [[articles/Who Pays for Your Heaven|Who Pays for Your Heaven]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Birth Bond Conspiracy Through The Lens of Digital Personhood and Human Futurity|The Birth Bond Conspiracy Through The Lens of Digital Personhood and Human Futurity]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Free Will|Free Will]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “If science does in fact confirm that we lack free will, what are the implications for our notions of blame, punishment, reward, and moral responsibility?” — Jerry A. Coyne, 2018 Edge Annual Question https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-jerry-coyne-if-free-fails-happens-moral ```