Q&A: Force Field
Force Field
Question
Hello Rabbi,
From what I understood from what I read in The Science of Freedom, a libertarian has to believe that it is possible for a force field to be created that can move an electron out of nothing—that is, as a result of free will and not as a result of another electron creating a force field.
My question is: can this not be tested? In other words, if I see an electron moving, can I not check whether there is another electron nearby that is the one moving it, or whether in fact there is “nothing” causing that force field?
That is, since a person makes free choices during the day, I would assume that if we check, we should be able to identify electrons that are moving around without another electron affecting them. And if we have never seen such a thing, is that not something more than just a priori assumption on the part of determinists that a force field is not created without a charge? Rather, simply because we have never observed such a thing, it would be a reasonable conclusion? And if indeed we believe this happens every time a person makes a choice, then it would make sense that we should observe cases in which electrons move without the influence of another electron. Or perhaps I do not understand the matter at all, and there is no way to check what caused the movement of an electron, and then perhaps it really is possible to suppose that maybe it is will and maybe an electron. But if I can point to an electron that caused it in every case, would that not contradict this?
Thank you very much.
Sabbath peace.
Answer
As I understand it, there is no way to check such a thing. There are masses of electrons in the brain, and there is no way to know which one should be checked. And even if you identified the specific electron, how could you check that no force field is acting on it?
Discussion on Answer
A. I cannot give a course here on electromagnetic fields. It cannot be checked. There are lots of electrons and fields in the environment. If you assume that the very fact that it moves testifies to the existence of a force, then you are begging the question. So there is nothing left to check.
B. Exactly so. Even if, when you saw an object standing in the air, you concluded that there is no law of gravity, you would make a God-of-the-gaps move and assume that there is something hidden here that caused it, and the law would still remain correct in your eyes. The decisive question is what the starting point is: if it is clear to you that a person has choice, then the burden of proof is on whoever claims he does not. If the starting point is that a person has no choice, then the burden of proof is on whoever claims that he does. Since I have a clear, immediate sense that I have choice, I assume that the electron can move without the influence of a force. You argue against this that there is always a force (and you also have no proof of that whatsoever). Therefore, you are holding a God-of-the-gaps position exactly as much as I am.
C. If I had good reason to assume that—then maybe yes.
Thank you.
B) But can the determinist not argue that he is not holding a God-of-the-gaps argument, since in fact from all the scientific experiments and observations known to us, force fields are indeed created by charges and not just like that? Or again, do I simply not fully understand, and there is no experiment at all that shows that forces are not created just like that? Can he not use such an argument?
Experiment shows that force fields are created by charges (but not necessarily only by charges), and immediate intuition shows that they are also created by the will.
A) I do not completely understand the scientific considerations. But when you say, how would we know that no force field is acting on it—if it moves, is that not a reason to think that one is acting on it? And then one could identify whether this is simply another electron in its vicinity by calculating the magnitude of the force and using Coulomb's law, and if one indeed discovers that there is such an electron nearby, then surely that is proof that this is not just some force field that appeared out of nowhere? In other words, I do not fully understand why this is not measurable. What are the constraints that make it impossible for me to check such a thing?
B) Is this not a God-of-the-gaps argument? That right now we can claim that this is a force field created out of nothing because at the moment we do not have the tools to measure and know that this is not true?
C) Can this be extrapolated and said to apply to all of nature as well? That despite the system of laws of nature and all the mutual and deterministic influences, there is some room for the activation of force fields, so that there is some influence perhaps of human beings/God on what happens in nature, and not only through direct physical influence?