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Q&A: Determinism and Quantum Mechanics

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This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.

Determinism and Quantum Mechanics

Question

Has the age of determinism come to an end after the discovery of quantum mechanics?
Or is there still order in the world after we’ve seen that quanta do not operate according to a definite order?
It should be noted that I don’t understand physics all that well, so I’d be happy to get an answer in plain language.

Answer

For that, you need to study physics and quantum theory. According to the accepted interpretations of quantum theory, given a certain state, several different possibilities can follow from it, and in that sense there is no causality there in its classical meaning. But there is order in the world, as anyone can see. That is true both because on the macro level quantum theory does not rule; rather, classical physics does, and there there is causality; and also because even in quantum theory there is order (it’s just that there is no causality in the classical sense). After all, even in quantum theory physicists analyze states and know how to say what is expected to happen.

Discussion on Answer

. (2021-03-08)

How can something that is completely random have a probability distribution?

Michi (2021-03-08)

I don’t know what you mean by “completely random.” Here there is a distribution determined by quantum theory. If you want to call that “not completely random” — be my guest.

The Last Decisor (2021-03-11)

You understand physics better than you think.
You’re welcome to try imagining what will happen if you jump in place. Will you land back where you started, or will something random happen and you’ll end up on Mars? Or maybe the whole ground beneath your feet will give way when you land because of the randomness of the atoms, and the ground will fall with you to the center of the Earth.

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