Part Three
Problems Raised by Science
Chapter 11: Determinism
Is the future determined?
Determinism: every fact in the universe is guided entirely by law.
Do laws guide or determine facts?
“But whether or not we humans can in principle predict the future is a question about our limitations, not about the nature of the universe.”
What is The Law of Nature?
4 Factors influencing this problem
1. The laws available.
2. The facts available.
3. The reasoning powers available.
4. The time available.
*Uncertainty Principle
Two Related Topics
1. Complete prediction of the future is in principle impossible. (K. R. Popper)
2. Difficulty in solving the mathematical problems involved in predictions. (K. Gödel: no matter what mathematical methods we have at our disposal, some of the questions we can ask ourselves cannot be answered by these methods… In other words, the progress of Mathematics is an infinite progress, where at each stage there remain unanswered questions.)
“This suggests the interesting possibility that, not only must we expect an endless advance on the part of the theoretical scientists, but that this progress must go hand in hand with the endless progress of the mathematicians, if it is to be of use to mankind.”
Determinism: every fact in the universe is guided entirely by law.
Do laws guide or determine facts?
“But whether or not we humans can in principle predict the future is a question about our limitations, not about the nature of the universe.”
What is The Law of Nature?
4 Factors influencing this problem
1. The laws available.
2. The facts available.
3. The reasoning powers available.
4. The time available.
*Uncertainty Principle
Two Related Topics
1. Complete prediction of the future is in principle impossible. (K. R. Popper)
2. Difficulty in solving the mathematical problems involved in predictions. (K. Gödel: no matter what mathematical methods we have at our disposal, some of the questions we can ask ourselves cannot be answered by these methods… In other words, the progress of Mathematics is an infinite progress, where at each stage there remain unanswered questions.)
“This suggests the interesting possibility that, not only must we expect an endless advance on the part of the theoretical scientists, but that this progress must go hand in hand with the endless progress of the mathematicians, if it is to be of use to mankind.”
Chapter 12: Life
What can Science say about life?
Vitalism: the doctrine that phenomena of life possess a character sui generis (of its own kind) by virtue of which they differ radically from physico-chemical phenomena.
Vital Force: (opposed to vitalism) is biological mechanism which asserts that living phenomena can be explained exclusively in physico-chemical terms.
Orthogenesis: the inherent tendency of living organisms to develop in predetermined directions.
Vitalism: the doctrine that phenomena of life possess a character sui generis (of its own kind) by virtue of which they differ radically from physico-chemical phenomena.
Vital Force: (opposed to vitalism) is biological mechanism which asserts that living phenomena can be explained exclusively in physico-chemical terms.
Orthogenesis: the inherent tendency of living organisms to develop in predetermined directions.
Chapter 13: The Mind
What distinguished “mere” living things from those higher creatures that think?
Monoistic: there is no fundamental difference between mind and matter.
Dualistic: they assert a basic distinction between mind and matter.
“What concerns us is the problem of what Science can tell us of the nature of minds and of the relation between mind and matter.”
What is intelligence? “If machines can carry out all these tasks that we associate with human thinking, are we ourselves more than mere machines?” Are we conscious?
Are we really free to make decisions, or is this an illusion? This goes in hand with the problem of predictability of human actions.
Are human actions predictable?
“To summarize: Complete predictability of events seems out of the question even in the inanimate world. Prediction of human actions is perhaps the most complex problem facing the scientist.”
Monoistic: there is no fundamental difference between mind and matter.
Dualistic: they assert a basic distinction between mind and matter.
“What concerns us is the problem of what Science can tell us of the nature of minds and of the relation between mind and matter.”
What is intelligence? “If machines can carry out all these tasks that we associate with human thinking, are we ourselves more than mere machines?” Are we conscious?
Are we really free to make decisions, or is this an illusion? This goes in hand with the problem of predictability of human actions.
Are human actions predictable?
“To summarize: Complete predictability of events seems out of the question even in the inanimate world. Prediction of human actions is perhaps the most complex problem facing the scientist.”