MYRIAD CAUSAL DETERMINISM
( 6th August 2010)
( 6th August 2010)
In my search to make sense of determinism and chaos theory, it became clear that they were good bedfellows !
Take chaos theory: the standard example is, "A butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil could cause a tornado in Texas."
This is not true ! In order to cause the tornado, a myriad other causes, in addition to the butterfly wings, would have to be present. The number of causes is ................ myriad !
Let's analyze this example ...... there would also have to be these other causes. Maybe .......
1. The wings would have to be 5.967 cm X 2.56 cm - exactly -
2. They would have to flap at 2.479 beats/minute - exactly -
3. They would have to be at an angle of 37.5924 degrees - exactly -
4. The butterfly would have to be at an angle of 186.819 degrees to the breeze - exactly
5. The breeze would have to be at 6.769 K/hr - exactly -
6. A plant stem 32.87 cm high with a diameter of 2.376 mm would have to be at 23.764 degrees to the butterfly - exactly -
7. The temperature would have to be 20.87 C - exactly -
and so on and so on ----- It could need a googol, or more, causes to be in concert to trigger that tornado in Texas !
(A googol is the number one followed by a 100 zeros) A myriad causes to predetermine that one event !
So, with basic determinism, it is argued that simple events, such as a particular man & woman meeting and giving birth to a child predetermines that child's future. As can be seen with the argument above, the predetermined outcome is dependent on a myriad of causes.
There are arguments against my presumption. Here is an article on causal determinism :-
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/determinism-causal/#Int But .................. I do not agree with the concluding assumptions ..... !
Take chaos theory: the standard example is, "A butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil could cause a tornado in Texas."
This is not true ! In order to cause the tornado, a myriad other causes, in addition to the butterfly wings, would have to be present. The number of causes is ................ myriad !
Let's analyze this example ...... there would also have to be these other causes. Maybe .......
1. The wings would have to be 5.967 cm X 2.56 cm - exactly -
2. They would have to flap at 2.479 beats/minute - exactly -
3. They would have to be at an angle of 37.5924 degrees - exactly -
4. The butterfly would have to be at an angle of 186.819 degrees to the breeze - exactly
5. The breeze would have to be at 6.769 K/hr - exactly -
6. A plant stem 32.87 cm high with a diameter of 2.376 mm would have to be at 23.764 degrees to the butterfly - exactly -
7. The temperature would have to be 20.87 C - exactly -
and so on and so on ----- It could need a googol, or more, causes to be in concert to trigger that tornado in Texas !
(A googol is the number one followed by a 100 zeros) A myriad causes to predetermine that one event !
So, with basic determinism, it is argued that simple events, such as a particular man & woman meeting and giving birth to a child predetermines that child's future. As can be seen with the argument above, the predetermined outcome is dependent on a myriad of causes.
There are arguments against my presumption. Here is an article on causal determinism :-
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/determinism-causal/#Int But .................. I do not agree with the concluding assumptions ..... !
YOU, HERE, NOW !
Think of yourself - you are here, now. (Or, if you wish, you, there then.)
Now think of a cone. You, here & now (or you, there & then) is represented by the point of the cone. The volume of the cone above 'you' represents the myriad causes that preceded you, (being you), being here, being now. Every single one, every event, comprising the myriad causes is essential to enable you to be here, now ! If just one single event of the myriad events did not happen, then you would not be you, here, now ! |