Comments on: Time and Chance http://www.libertypages.com/cgw/2008/04/22/time-and-chance/ Musings on Science, Religion and Philosophy Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:57:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Clark http://www.libertypages.com/cgw/2008/04/22/time-and-chance/comment-page-1/#comment-366 Clark Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:11:04 +0000 http://www.libertypages.com/cgw/?p=171#comment-366 I've thought about it more and I think the two positions end up being Presentism and Four-Demensionalism. Randomness is still randomness but it takes a different form depending upon your metaphysical position relative to that debate. The key question then becomes whether this affects "could have done otherwise" since Libertarian Free Will proponents usually argue for a form of presentism as requiring this. I'm not sure that's a correct assertion. I’ve thought about it more and I think the two positions end up being Presentism and Four-Demensionalism. Randomness is still randomness but it takes a different form depending upon your metaphysical position relative to that debate.

The key question then becomes whether this affects “could have done otherwise” since Libertarian Free Will proponents usually argue for a form of presentism as requiring this. I’m not sure that’s a correct assertion.

]]> By: Michael Dorfman http://www.libertypages.com/cgw/2008/04/22/time-and-chance/comment-page-1/#comment-363 Michael Dorfman Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:01:44 +0000 http://www.libertypages.com/cgw/?p=171#comment-363 Great metaphor, Clark. I believe it points to the question I've raised before: does "free will" really matter? As far as I can tell, there's no way we can rigorously exclude the possibility that all of the seemingly "free" events that have occurred since time 0 (and will continue to occur into the future) have been "pre-calculated". Great metaphor, Clark. I believe it points to the question I’ve raised before: does “free will” really matter? As far as I can tell, there’s no way we can rigorously exclude the possibility that all of the seemingly “free” events that have occurred since time 0 (and will continue to occur into the future) have been “pre-calculated”.

]]> By: Clark http://www.libertypages.com/cgw/2008/04/22/time-and-chance/comment-page-1/#comment-352 Clark Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:13:54 +0000 http://www.libertypages.com/cgw/?p=171#comment-352 Just to add. I think the simple point I'm making is that randomness is a particular property relating two Events such that there isn't causal determinism between the two. My point ends up being that one can have determinism of a sort without having causal determinism. I think these two senses end up being conflated though. It may well be that the whole universe is a kind of wave function which collapses as a whole. Just to add. I think the simple point I’m making is that randomness is a particular property relating two Events such that there isn’t causal determinism between the two. My point ends up being that one can have determinism of a sort without having causal determinism. I think these two senses end up being conflated though.

It may well be that the whole universe is a kind of wave function which collapses as a whole.

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