Determinism: Difference between revisions
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== '''Introduction''' == | == '''Introduction''' == | ||
Determinism, the idea that every event is determined by past events | Determinism, the idea that every event is determined by past events based on the natural laws, has caused an important philosophical and scientific debate for a long time, leading to the following questions: "Is the universe fundamentally deterministic, | ||
meaning that every single event in the universe has already been predetermined billions of years ago? Do we really have free will the way we think we do, or are all events, including our own actions, merely the inevitable consequences of prior causes?" | |||
This paper examines these questions by first defining the term from different viewpoints, including the concepts of causality, logic, theology, and the idea that free will can exist in a deterministic world. | |||
Throughout history, different views on this question were documented by many philosophers and scientists. Some of them are presented in this paper: | Throughout history, different views on this question were documented by many philosophers and scientists. Some of them are presented in this paper: | ||
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Bateson defines information as a "difference that makes a difference", as stated in the [[Information|article about information]]. | Bateson defines information as a "difference that makes a difference", as stated in the [[Information|article about information]]. | ||
We could interpret the "difference" (first word of the definition) as a predetermined causal factor that still results in a noticeable outcome, leading to a difference within the deterministic system, | We could interpret the "difference" (first word of the definition) as a predetermined causal factor that still results in a noticeable outcome, leading to a difference within the deterministic system, showing that Bateson's definition still applies in a deterministic world. | ||
On the other hand, one could argue that in a deterministic universe, all events follow a fixed causal chain, | On the other hand, one could argue that in a deterministic universe, all events follow a fixed causal chain, which means that there are no alternative outcomes or actual differences to the course of events. This would make Bateson's definition about information, if it assumes that the "difference" leads to a real change in the course of events, incompatible with the concept of determinism. | ||
== '''Knowledge and Determinism''' == | == '''Knowledge and Determinism''' == | ||