Re: Determinism and causality

From: Bill Hobba (bhobba_at_rubbish.net.au)
Date: 08/02/04 

Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 05:02:01 GMT

"Daniel Weston" <daniel009@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:15733-410DB915-77@storefull-3138.bay.webtv.net...
> Causality refers to a situation where, before a happening can occur. the
> happening must be preceded by certain conditions precedent.
>
> The opposite of causality, would be a situation where a happening occurs
> without any preconditions. With _perhaps_ some occurrences in QM,
> neither science nor human experience knows of any happenings without
> conditions precedent. NOT EVEN 1 EXAMPLE.
>
> Are we looking for a theory that works? It would be that every
> happening has a cause, and by looking for it, we might find it and
> advance science in particular and and knowledge in general.

Try some basic logic will you. If every happening has a cause then that
cause has a cause and so no in an infinite regress. But as Bilge has
pointed out time and time again science is not about turtle all the way down
type explanations - any theory must assume something. Seeking a cause for
that something on terms defined by, for example, one eyed atherists is not
the way of science. Seeking a cause based on consistency with experiment
is.

Bill

> We have
> obtained the cure for many diseases by assuming they were caused, and
> looking for the necessary precedent conditions.
> This my friends, is a human achievement of gigantic proportions. The
> theory has worked magnificently in medicine. The same can be said for
> the mechanical knowledge contained in science, and much of the knowledge
> occurring in the other disciplines. I.e. observations coupled with the
> theory that there were necessary precedent conditions.
>
> The super big problem with causality, is that it brings into serious
> question claims of miracles. For this reason fundamental theologians
> abhor and abjure the concept of causality. Another reason is causality
> leads to determinism which it antithetical
> to free will. Without "free will" how does one justify the teaching
> that God, knowing in advance a large majority of humans He would send to
> hell, bring them into existence? People whose thinking has been
> _contaminated_ by Roman Catholic theology and Christian fundamentalism
> theology, hate determinism and therefore must hate also causality. Some
> even post to this ng. Can you identify them?
> (don't answer, we know already) They tend to be pontifical and pompous
> ass holes.
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