Q&A: Scientific Determinism
Scientific Determinism
Question
The arguments you present in the current series (Doubt and Statistics) are all based on scientific determinism.
A. Is this really a philosophical view that everyone agrees on?
B. I didn’t understand why you don’t see quantum physics as a rejection of determinism (even if only in principle, but still a real one).
B. Human beings have a very deep influence on reality, so it’s never possible to predict what will happen even if we have all the relevant physical data, because we are missing the power of human influence. For example, ten thousand years ago, if I had taken all the necessary scientific data, I would have predicted and determined that there would be an earthquake in Turkey in the year 3028. But I would have been wrong, and the earthquake would have happened in 2023, because human beings affected global warming Following the Industrial Revolution, or influenced things in various other ways, and that caused the earthquake to occur in 2023.
So because of humanity, natural reality is no longer deterministic, right?
Answer
A. This is not (only) philosophy but science. And yes, it is agreed upon.
B. I explained this in my book The Science of Freedom. This can be a rejection of determinism (depending on the interpretation), but it still does not allow for divine involvement without violating the laws of nature.
C? Absolutely. I explained that too in the past, mainly in the second book of the trilogy, and also several times here on the site. But again, divine involvement at this point would be an involvement that breaks the laws of nature (of which human choice is part).