Is the Universe Determined? Are we actually free?

[TheTechnogoat]

The metaphysical theory of causal determinism is one that fascinates me. Are we subject to an inescapable chain of cause and effect arising from physical laws, a chain that renders all of our past and future actions completely determined and out of our control? Or are we sometimes the agents or originators of certain movements that would seem to have no preceding cause? Or, can we accept the view of soft determinism, which holds that even if our lives are through and through determined, we can think of our voluntary actions as free in that they are unrestrained and seemingly caused by what appear to be something like our own free will? Can indeterminism be argued? Fatalism?

I have struggled to find a theory that convincingly debunks determinism, and in response to the argument against determinism regarding subatomic particles, I enjoy Bertrand Russell's view that the physical 'laws' as we know them are empirical observations of how atoms behave most of the time, and therefore citing particular inconsistencies in deterministic structure (e.g. the random decay of an ion or the erratic movement of electrons) is not a strong enough argument against the theory. He uses a lovely image of an atom as a ballroom which moves according to the laws of physics no matter how energetically its electrons (or what have you) may dance around inside of it.

Thoughts on the theory and its implications?

 

[Resonator]

If you want, I'll try to explain a few thoughts I've had.

Take the beginning of the universe as a constant, the root of a tree. It is A source of "Chaos", if you will. From that root, the metaphysical existence of a branch is made as each interaction is made. So each time an instance of an event is made, the new branch is made and the system expands. The first instance determines just how big the system can grow on itself, and will eventually deteriorate once it's maximum...I think the word is Entropy here...Is reached. But I say instance because it is an instance of something. Other flowing events had to be created for them to exist, and so the first time the concept of War was thought up, it existed and started from that root (Or branch, depending on the frame of reference). But there has to be energy dictating the events existence and force, so if something else (Let's say hatred was something created, for the sake of this) flowing along this tree of existence happens to interact with a variable, the energy it contains will determine if war is actually made, and creates a new branch, and ALL other instances of hatred spring from this like an overlay. The branch therein becomes like an equation, so that the tree is like the equation of life, and we (Among other things we may describe as metaphysical) are variables for the metaphysical to interact with.

It may not be a clear cut observation, but perhaps there's only one way for it to go in the end. But you interacted with it because you live your own life, and HOW you interact with a situation manipulates your environment. If you hate someone, unless they don't care that you do they absorb that event you create when they know you hate them. And the same rule can be applied to numerous other things.

I'm tired, I can't think right anymore now so goodnight!

 

[hexwind]

Nice thread !! well.. I believe it's good to try to understand these things (which i do) but at the end of the day...we are a part of a system, so we can't understand the whole thing (system) !! dunno mayb I'm wrong, but you just guys inspire me to pick up some interesting books and read about. What books do u require ?

 

[Resonator]

Oh no? So...Being a part of the system lets you down? Hmm...Time to rise above it I think, friend

I recommend any of the Gnostic gospels, but this book works awesome:

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Gnostic-Bible-Revised-Expanded/dp/1590306317/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233089280&sr=1-2[/ame]

You could probably rent it from the library, as it's not exactly a real religious document. However, alot of these books are numbered in their original source, so there is a strict format on how they were supposed to be read.

Is your name Mike, or am I mistaken?

EDIT: Your post number makes me think funny...

EDIT 2: Also, this:

http://www.newscientist.com/article...be-a-giant-hologram.html?full=true&print=true