Reality in Three Paradigms

To reply with an email, use: James.Sullivan@thethirdmillennium.com

Overview:

We know that pure science or deterministic science is typified by formulas such as  the laws of motion. It is based on  a certain type of causality. What about behavioral science, biology and the humanities? Are they science? Do they have a different type of causation? How does it affect our religion, philosophy and ideology? Every time I see an online discussion of “if determinism is strict and exclusive” then  “do we have any free will?. The following discussion leads to nothing but confusion. There is no excuse for this and a lot of harm. The distinctions may be the most important issue in terms of a humanistic philosophy and the ultimate existential questions such as “Do we have free will?” and “How did we come to exist as have conscious beings and why does anything exist?”

Paradigm: dictionary.com: a  framework containing the basic assumptions, ways of thinking, and methodology that are commonly accepted by members of a scientific community.

The First Paradigm defined: Exclusive Determinism

I am defining the First Paradigm as Exclusive Determinism.  Determinism can best be explained as accepted pure science typified by the laws of motion and many other areas such as electronics and chemistry. it is  a concept based on deductive logic that leads to logical proof by mathematical formulas with well shared, defined parameters. Some of the causality of determinism is everywhere like gravity. Strict or Exclusive Determinism, by contrast, was the belief that it was the only causality – Exclusive. This has been held by many thousands of highly educated people in science and philosophy. I will explain why exclusive determinism is not valid by logic, math or science.

The Second Paradigm Defined: Determinism and Emergence/Self-Organization – Both

I put – EXCLUSIVE – determinism in the First Paradigm because this conjecture was presented as scientific and was supported by many scientist in the past. It persits to some to this day.

I am defining and addressing the Second Paradigm as including both:

1. the causality of deterministic phenomena (non-exclusive) and

2. a distinctly different type of causality: emergence/self-organized phenomena – Here I discuss both 1. and 2 combined because, in physical reality, they are inseparable. There is clear, mathematical, physical, and inductive evidence that there is this expanded view – based on mixed causality. These two causalities work together for a combined resultant. This is the proven, valid view based on logic, science and mathematics.

The lack of clarity on this distinction is a major gap in education and this is one of the purposes of this discussion.

To be clear about the fact that they work together: it is also true that some phenomena are dominantly deterministic such as the laws of motion and some are dominantly emergent/self-organized such as the beginning of reproductive life.

The Third Paradigm:

You can not discuss all causality without discussing a third beyond the first two. The failure of the first two in terms of explaining causality of the universe, our complete reality, sets up another frame. To many people this paradigm is the most important. The Third Paradigm points to the biggest question. How can anything exist? The problem is that the First Law of Thermodynamics (you can not add or destroy energy or matter) is just one example of the foundational axiom of all science and logic “everything in existence has a cause”.  Another form in plainer language is: “You cannot get something from nothing”.  If these axioms are not true than all logic, science and analysis of causality falls apart. Yet, this sets up a frame for a third type of causality. What is the picture in that frame? Throughout the history of Homo Sapiens it seems to be innate to address the question: Where did everything come from?.

The First Paradigm:

Strict, Exclusive Determinism as the only science and causality?

Strict, hard or exclusive determinism has been posed as the only causality.  From Wikipedia: In the history of science, Laplace’s conjecture was the first published articulation of  exclusive, strict determinism – by Pierre-Simon Laplace in 1814. According to strict determinism, if someone – a super intelligence – in his example:  some entity, later coined as “La Place’s demon” captures all information –  knows the precise location and momentum of every particle, energy state, or sub-particle in the universe, and their past  values, then the future is trapped, causatively bounded – ie. – rigidly, exactly predictable to the smallest change and movement for all the time to come. To the extent that all outcomes are caused by deterministic causality -alone, this would be correct. Laplace and others were absorbing and extrapolating this universal principle from a  large wave of advances in Classical Mechanics in the 17th and 18th century –  that could, for instance, predict the future movements of all the heavenly bodies indefinitely into the future –  limited only by the knowledge and accuracy of the starting state – of all parameters. The expansion of proven scientific laws just kept coming most notably by Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion Newton’s Laws of Motion, and electrical formulas.

If strict determinism is the final causality, and the future is determined to every finest detail, then the universe and all components including us are a frozen, clockwork machine. Many scientist who are brilliant in their field believed this, and some, still do.

If determinism was exclusive, any human decision making, and free will are false illusions.  You would be pushed to conclude that most important values: love, family, hope religion, ideology, are illusions. It can fundamentally effect the foundation of other belief systems – our political systems, the dignity of man, morality, culture, ideology and our religions. In this view, it is a final, un-editable movie reel. It philosophically pushes us towards the logical, but nihilistic conclusion – what does anything matter? This can be a poison that kills the human spirit and mocks all morality, and self sacrifice to ideals bigger than ourselves. It is the perfect ideology to support and justify transhumanism, materialism or any ideology that refuses to address a shared sense of justice or ethics, It excuses and reduces us to just self serving, and dismissing objections with “What difference does it make?”. To be fair, I must add that many persons who support similar views  are decent and ethical in their daily life.

In order to establish the existence of the first 2 causalities we have to review their essentials and differences:

First the the logic of Determinism that is dependent on Deductive Logic has to be defined as separate from:

———–    the logic of Emergence that is dependent on Inductive Logic.

Deductive Logic vs Inductive Logic

1 Deductive Logic

Deductive reasoning, also called deductive logic – Science based on formulas and deductive logic (Physics, Astronomy, Electronics, chemistry, etc) these have strictly defined and measurable parameters (mass, time, velocity, energy) and formulas that are deduced and always work precisely with proper input and within certain limits. These sciences are supported by valid, deductive logic.

Here are the characteristics of deterministic phenomena discovered and supported by deductive logic. For example, this is an algorithm to compute the total distance an object falls over time. It illustrates the characteristics of deductive logic: D=1/2 G x T squared.

D, G, and T are completely defined. We could make a spreadsheet, second by second of accumulated distance fallen per unit time. The deduced formula becomes obvious. This result of the formula is always true and exact to any last significant quantity that you can compute. If there was an instance within the defined constraints were it was not true,  then we would question not only that instance but any this instance of the law of gravity. Deductive Logic demands all or nothing. This is strict determinism.

• Strictly defined and shared elements – time, mass, distance, energy etc.
• After initial observation formulas are deduced and tested by rigorous standards.
• There is concurrence experienced by anyone who test under the stated conditions.
• Anyone can use these formulas for other values of G and T and in combinations of G forces such as in a moon shot calculation.
• If you quantify the parameters of two or more deterministic algorithms, they work together with the exact, predicted resultant such a the dynamics of a pendulum or a moon shot.

I dragged you through a simple example of a deterministic law to show how drastically different this causality is from the causality of the outcome of emergence, self-organization. Determinism is entirely different in its epistemology of deriving an exact,  closed-form mathematical algorithm  with defined parameters using  deductive logic.

The Second Paradigm is Determinism – and – Emergence/Self Organization  – BOTH

Scientific findings have proven the limits of strict, exclusive determinism.  Exclusive determinism, by itself,can not address all reality. It is essentially a separate type of cause with limitations. At this point, the broad, scientifically established consensus acknowledges that strict determinism alone is insufficient to describe the causality of all known phenomena. This realization has led to the recognition and acceptance  that combines determinism with the concept of emergence and self-organization. For analytic purposes, I define this expanded view as the Second Paradigm. To see the extent and immediacy of these limitations see: The Three Body Problem and the Limits of Determinism at the end. I knew of this limitation  and confirmed its mathematical validity from You tube videos and Chat GPT. This sounds abstract, so consider the larger fact that, using exclusive determinism, no life would exist.  We would not exist and be conscious. How do you define, and what, are the units of your consciousness right now?

The good news is that a Second Paradigm that also includes both determinism and  emergence/self- organization – is ratified as the scientific, valid view. This is a science-based view that is more comprehensive and it explains the world we know.

2. Inductive Logic –

By contrast, the causality resulting from emergent and self-organization causality is analyzed by inductive logic. We need to understand the difference between  these logical disciplines.

Inductive Logic advances sciences seeking knowledge by applying analysis starting with observation.

Inductive reasoning constructs or evaluates general propositions that are derived from specific examples.

The terms emergence or  observation do not do justice to what has been learned by – observation. Some causality of self-organization may be ordinary in our experience. For example water forms a whirlpool going down a drain or weather patterns. Some effects of self-organized causality are astounding and could never be deduced or predicted by observing their many components such as life and its its reproducing life-forms driven by DNA. Every living species is a unique chemical factory with increasing behavioral levels.

In behavioral and similar scientific studies start with observation and correlation to create hypothesis but, without agreed upon rigorous standards, without those standards; it can prove that drinking milk causes cancer. Here – we use statistics, measurement, correlation, curve-fit and but most importantly standards of Randomized Controlled Trials. This is most obvious in the behavioral and life sciences: Psychology, Biology, Sociology, Ethics etc.). The huge difference is that, at the start,  there are  no exactly defined variables and no exact formulas derived from deductive logic. In order to use quantitative analysis, measurables are proposed, evaluated,critiqued and validated later.

It is true that deterministic processes can not be directly contradicted. That would be magic, not science of any sort. It also true that wherever self-organization is operative or dominant there is also deterministic effects and the total outcome is resultant.

The revolution of the mathematic validity of emergent causality and self-organization came about with the increase in computing power. For brevity, I will just use the term “emergence”.

Most times when an algorithm is discovered it is deterministic. There is a notable exception around 1890 by one of the most prolific mathematician ever. Poincare was the first to understand the possibility of completely irregular, or “chaotic,” behavior of solutions of nonlinear differential equations that are characterized by an extreme sensitivity to initial conditions: Given slightly different initial conditions, outputs can grow exponentially apart with time, so the system soon becomes effectively unpredictable, or chaotic.” These cases can not be deterministic. Unlike deterministic equations, you can not compute an exact solution (also called a “closed from solution”). It is not complicated waiting to  be solved by a better technique – because mathematics says there is no final set of algorithms that will predict a solution for all  starting conditions. This was an early discovery of the doorway to chaos, emergence and self-organization. When the overall mathematical description of a phase space is non-linear, this is a hard limit to determinism. This is why any three large astronomical bodies are not deterministic and the reason that non-linear property in any three molecules are also not exclusively deterministic. See my conversations with Chat GBT and Claude in other blogs as confirmation.

I always anticipated that exclusive determinism could not explain all  causative reality. Even in Manhattan College, Physics 101, 1960, I wondered how a reach of wind over the ocean for 100 miles could cause the emergence of a wave system with 3 measures of periodicity: Height = 30  ft, time – every 30 sec, distance 200 ft apart. But, all the deterministic factors are on the molecular level. Each molecule is an independent agent pushed downward by gravity but, at depth,  sideway forces are random-like. A wave pattern or structure on the order of 10 to the 30th appears. Where did the larger pattern come from? How was that outcome determined? When I saw and  grabbed the book Chaos (1987 by James Gleick), It was a confirmation rather than a discovery. I was deeply impressed by this revelation. This limitation of strict, deterministic causality gives us an image of a picture and these limitations set up a frame for another picture.

The Second Paradigm is both #1 – Determinism  it is co-existent with – #2 – emergence and self organization 

Emergence, Self-Organization

Complexity Theory: the theory that processes having a large number of seemingly independent agents can spontaneously order themselves into a coherent system or structure or even entirely new platforms. The starting, deterministic causality may be on the molecular level and the emergence of a structure may be on an immense level 30 ft waves. A dripping faucet may drip deterministically in an exact period. Driven by a higher input, there emerges a periodic fluctuation in timing and, at a higher boundary, after some bifurcations, a random pattern emerges. Some forms of emergence are always present like the thermodynamic structures in weather patterns. Some are a one in a octillion long shot when some mix of organic proteins evolved as life. Improvements in functionality emerged both gradually  – over 100 of millions of years. Later this was punctuated by sudden, quantum jumps into a fully coded replication process – RNA DNA, multi-cellular. Life is a new platform with a whole set of new rules and additional, changing, expanding functionality.

Another characteristic is that emergent/self ordering phenomena give results that are starkly different from any their components. Exact knowledge of lowest level parameters does not predict outcome on a larger scale.

Examples of structures that start with complexity: whirligig, tornado, hurricane, ocean wave system, DNA, life,  consciousness.

I am going to use ChatGPT as confirmation in a way that uses it strongest suit. It gathers immense amounts of data and reflects a consensus of opinion in a technical areas among other things.  I am trying to  explain the relationship of Emergence and Self-Organization to the surprising – without exaggeration -astounding  – discoveries of the mathematical foundations of the mechanism of emergence – the logistics map, the Mandelbrot set. Observations in physical systems followed. I want to establish that this is not a narrow or controversial opinion. Its basis is a broad consensus of latest research. This is strict, validated science.

The conversations with Chat GPT – Confirming the nature of determinism as a cause vs Self-organization as a separate type of cause are in Additional Topics below

Conclusion: We now know:

1. The  conjecture or any conclusion that – the causality of determinism is exclusive and therefore,  we live in a fixed, clockwork universe  is proven invalid.  Yet, why it is still being discussed seriously to this day?
2. It has been proven empirically, logically and mathematically that there is another causality – emergence and self-organization – and these two causalities work together to explain all physical, material phenomena. It is also proven that, of course, we have free will. We exercise it and feel it all our lives!

I have not referred to Quantum Mechanics because I do not have a background in it sufficient to cite it. At a high level, I have to say that anything I have seen on this subject as far as my understanding goes,  is supportive of non-determinism. I never saw any support in this arena for exclusive, strict  determinism.

The Third Paradigm

The universe is proposed/defined as everything. It includes all of space, and all the matter and energy that space contains. It even includes time itself.

If we consider the first paradigm as a picture, the inability of the first paradigm to explain all causality creates an empty frame. What is the picture that fills that frame?

The addition of the causality of emergence and self organization fills out the picture of the second paradigm.

The inability of either the first or second paradigm to explain the biggest question – why does anything – the Universe –  exist – sets up the frame for the Third Paradigm. What picture  do we put in this frame?

What is the one very big thing that neither the causality of the second paradigm can even begin to explain?

Oh- the Universe. Its existence, Its causality.

 

The attempt to explain why anything exists so far seems to be a complete failure. See –

An attempt to explain why the universe does not need a cause. – under Additional Topics.

 

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How can we progress toward an understanding of the likely properties of the third paradigm? Fundamentally – what could create, and be the cause of, our universe?

The concept of “emergence” is starkly weak, in many cases, as compared to self organization starting with life. The latter may be as simple as water organizing efficiently into a whirlpool structure to go down a drain.

Wikipedia under “History of Religion”  – “The earliest archeological evidence suggests the emergence of religious ideas dates back several hundred thousand years, to the Middle and Lower Paleolithic periods: some archaeologists conclude that the apparently intentional burial of early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals and even Homo Naledi as early as 300,000 years ago is proof that religious ideas already existed, but such a connection is entirely conjectural.” The philosophic questions resonant with religion are as innate to homo sapiens as his self-aware consciousness.

 

What are the compounding levels of organization, platforms, an inventive system. This is an acceleration of new platforms on higher levels and a generative environment that makes recursive improvements in the very tools and processes of invention. Examples: – DNA?.  Human drives and activities that are transcendent. What is the new level of consciousness, conceptualization, and a systematic, deliberate culture from new causality working in the sphere of information, ideas, ideology, transcendent values and religion. Why have homo sapiens exhibited, throughout their history, an inherent, increasing drive  to address the ultimate questions of the third paradigm?

To understand this overview, I must be specific and conceptualize properties of increasing complexity by using certain terms. These terms,in this context, have a meaning unique to emergence and self-organization.

Structures – physical results of emergence that have organized form. eg: all of the helical heat distribution flows from dust devil to hurricane, worldwide ocean currents, astronomical objects, the entire DNA gene pool of all living things or any one living thing.

Platforms – the appearance of living things created a complex generator of new processes, and generative inventions. In particular life has its own rules and processes. Life is a wholly new platform.  Stars and all the resulting processes and forms on various scales – Galaxy, Nebula planetary systems. New levels of platforms – primitive culture of humans and high culture of organized societies created new platforms. consciousness is a higher level new platform. Formal education, religions, empires and countries, ideology and movements are even higher platforms.

Generative processes – The organization and concentration of new elements enabling new chemistry and forms. The DNA system that is a system that is self-replicating computer-like, multi-faceted with no comparison to the rest of the material world. This is similar to the outcome to invention and organized scientific research.

Ascendance – Ascendence points to a pattern of many complex precursors converging on an outcome that is far from deductive or likely. and a causality beyond the first two paradigms. I see the all the history of the universe set up an inventor’s workbench that gives us structures – a stage – (galaxies, planets) and platforms (life, consciousness) that increase functionality and has further possibilities. The property that this is an arena of precursors, resources and increasing functionality gives me my appreciation of the concept of a generative environment, ascending in potential and the new appearances set the stage for the next level. I compare this inventiveness and hint of non-accidental manifestation to Edison’s laboratory. Edison’s laboratory is not just an accident of chaotic enthusiasm,  a extremely lucky guess. that this assemblance of a lead inventor, like assistants, equipment etc might might lead to something. It was planned with a vision and a plan as a  system to generate invention all the way. I am a Systems Analyst and I know a directed system when I see it. This Universe has all these precursor properties with an astounding result. How can this happen without a directive intelligence with a deeper understanding,  at a higher level, than the underlying principles?

There are several dimensions of the total history of ascendence as it relates to humans.

There is an acceleration in the elements of our present universe and our experience in it, if you consider its totality, and if you concentrate on mans view/vision. Actually, we can’t help ourselves. The changes that are familiar to an astro-physicist took place over billions of years. The appearance of life in the last 100’s of millions of years. The appearance of homo sapiens, in the order of magnitude of 100,000 years, language and writing, the appearance of  societies above the level of a troop of food gatherers,  30,000 or 12, 000 years. The industrial revolution the last 300 years.

Beginnings of life were likely supported by chance, for example, some form RNA is thought to emerge after 100’s of millions of years of trials, and early DNA took 100’s of millions more years, I call this the lottery effect. After these precursors emerged, they became the inventive generators of accelerated improvements and chance always continued but, became less important. Starting at the time of DNA emergence, this and other generative operators become a new system of accelerated invention that improves itself! So life is a fundamental change as a basis for ascendance. Consciousness is another level generator for another layer of ascendance.

What can we conceive beyond the first two paradigms? We  must proceed  by comparison and extropulation using our experience within our Universe and our knowledge of human intelligence and human conceptualization. Only humans have the unique power to naturally participate in using transcendent properties that do not materially exist and are not independently emergent but produce functionality. This is a higher level generative property.  On the more basic side – they work –  Hope, faith, trust, love. A wildy shared sense of morality/justice and a sense of the sacred.  They elevate to new platforms. They elevate us individually. These things have no source of existence in deduction, or emergence in the material sense. My meaning of transcendence ( Noun – existence or experience beyond the normal or physical level) in these examples is that they exist and produce profound results.

Philosophy transcendental values and Religion have to be considered as the top of the ascendance in the hierarchy of consciousness. The only place this occurs after billions of years is in the appearance of humankind. Who or What else can address the ultimate questions which probe the third paradigm? The behavioral sciences have universally accepted Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs a basic structured view of our drives and needs: – Physiological, Safety, Belonging and Love, Esteem, Cognitive, Aesthetic, Self-actualization, and finally Transcendence . 

The human spirit has the transcendental ability to create the realities that are not anchored in material causality –  love, hope, sacrifice for others, a commitment to the religious life, belief in a pure form of justice, philosophy and religion . The prior levels do not cause or create these faculties.  This is not just a modern story.

I have a visualization that seems to highlight a higher, or highest level within the human sphere of causality beyond the first two within our shared, experience.  Hold up your hand with the thumb pointed down, the spread fingers pointing upward. The fingers represent how our current international power politics actually work. They represent facets of power: Military and Political Police – Money –  Culture of Power –  Terror/ Fear.  This is like Real-Politic: “Real-Politik suggests a pragmatic, no-nonsense view and with little regard for ethical considerations.”, They are irresistible. This is how things actually work. When I try to be my most realistic, I concede to this view. The thumb pointed down refers to a pivot point. It seems unlikely, even impossible  but certain counter- people and movements that were inspired by the sphere of the third paradigm, were a pivot point., They alone were the fixed point and all the above immovable drivers had to shift and rotate while they, at a pivot point, were immovable and persisted. Jesus Christ, Gandi, Martin Luther King. How could they start with no power, no force, no money and use their vision to start changes that would persist for generations to come and to this day. What is this causality?

There is, of course, ordinary people who do the same on a single person scale. For example: the people who took vows of poverty and devoted their entire lives to religous-inspred commitment to education. These are the people who educated me.

Ascendance:

 

My insight and recognition of ascendance is related to my concept of the importance of the accelerating increase over time of new structures, platforms with multiple levels of generative processes and effects. Beyond the increasing speed of changes, over eons, there is a qualitative upward direction in capabilities and processes that point to dualism of matter, and mind that supports speculation about the necessity of a design by an intelligent being.

The complete ascendance described here is a convergence that could not happen unless it was subservient to an initial intent.

Causality – First, you have a vision of the whole design.- Second that you plan and then implement all steps needed to converge on the ultimate outcome. Stephen Meyer has bought this into focus in his books.  How could all the complicated, unlikely precursors come together to produce the highest levels of human ascendance, consciousness, transcendence or the physical universe to support this without the intelligence and design to envision the final outcome. There is no intermediate support for they final outcome. It can be shown mathematically that changes to elements, at random, would undermine any progress.

Ascendance and an improvements from a  Generative environment.

I see a higher level of ascendance in the history of man in the universe. I do have faith in man’s vision of a shared, common sense of justice and good, especially when it is based on natural law and this sense is made even more insightful by a progression of movements such as later religions in various forms, the renaissance, humanism. I see an elevated ethical structure rising past early empires that believed the strong should exploit the weak and their gods expected this of warrior cultures. I see a clear progression when I think of “All men are created equal and they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights.” This level is recognizable to all people as a shared sense of good and justice but is both progressed and degraded throughout our history. This, at the top of ascendence would reflect on the mind of God as the third paradigm.

Even in a secular based system, at its best, this view placed individuals with all different beliefs in a social contract to put individual rights over government and to limit government. Universal, unalienable set the stage and a legal system to work with differences. Can anyone say that this progression has not emerged from  a religious view across mankind as created?  I feel that to progress I have to dig deeper to come to grip with God’s plan for us, individually and as a people.

Conclusion, Faith or Best Choice?

I have a deep sense that I am standing on a staircase of ascendence that was created by an a generative process that was innate in its deterministic causality as a base. It was also innate in what we now know as emergence and self-organization as a different causality. The sense of hierarchy is highest when considering man , his consciousness and our use of transcendence that seems to go beyond any physical limit or causality.  Now do we find an answer for creation looking down and see something at the deterministic, material base? There is only raw material in the structures of suns, galaxies and planets. I feel like I am trying to interview a rock.

Then we consider creation.There was an ascendance toward a planet that can support life but the full generative property and the prospect of intent is not clear yet. With the further ascension of life and humanity and intelligence and consciousness, how can we ignore the sign of a prior intelligence, a shared sense of good and justice, the question of a higher intent, and the property of an inventive and generative machinery. How can we not see higher levels over time. Finally, must we consider and look up to a sentient being with a plan and the knowledge of how to set, design and create a universe with all the unfolding to  a stage with all the actors and stories to unfold. The earthly actors,especially including common man/women who know that nobody at their level is responsible. They also know that anything must come from something.

What is left leaves us looking at the higher end of ascendance from a human point of view by analogy or resonance. Is this why religious tradition often says humanity is made in the image of God. If so, this would be the lens of insight into the nature of God.  Also add, of course, intelligence, a plan for a generative  stage–  something woven into the lowest and highest levels of complexity.  I do not like the offering of faith alone. It sounds, to me, like you are pressured to say you believe something you do not assent to in your innermost feelings.  I can, after reviewing the possibilities, see the highest and most likely logical alternative  and make my the best and most logical choice.  We do see a higher intelligence and a plan and an innate generative universe, with a clear pattern of ascendance. While a deductive proof is not possible, we do have a vision of a creator matching these elements, especially the transcendent values.

Back in Manhattan College Physics 101 again – I did a thought experiment that said “What universe would satisfy, without any contradiction, all the science and logic that we know?” I was forced to logically fill in the picture with – “The Null Universe”. It, of course, consist of nothing. This is, as usual, is sarcastic but given the postulate: true to logic. The Universe of our science and logic – the second paradigm – can not logically cause itself.

There is no positive proof for the existence of God, but we can not explain the existence of the Universe without Him. As Stephen Meyer said “You can’t absolutely prove the existence of God, but the consequences of denying the existence of God, as a theoretical postulate at least, is a system of physics which ends up eating its own; which ends up destroying, for epistemological reasons, our ability to rely on our own reasoning capabilities about the world around us. So at the end, the choice is between God and science, or no God and no science.“.

To reply with an email, use: James.Sullivan@thethirdmillennium.com

 

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Additional Topics:

The Three Body Problem and the Limits of Determinism

Where do the limits of exclusive determinism start. Contrary to the La Place’s conjecture, which was later expanded to a widely held materialistic philosophy, It turns out it is closer than anyone thinks, and probably everywhere. Lets consider the three body problem.

I submitted this to ChatGPT:

Question:

When three astronomical bodies a have gravitational attraction that is operating simultaneously. This is called the three body problem. There can be back-engineered formulas or techniques for getting close solutions. For a completely deterministic solution, is there a mathematical reason that we can not get the exact solution?

Answer: This is an extract. I truncated the end, because it was repetitive with extraneous text.

ChatGPT:

Yes, the “three-body problem” in the context of celestial mechanics refers to the challenge of predicting the motions of three celestial bodies under the influence of their mutual gravitational attraction. This problem is notoriously difficult to solve exactly due to its inherent complexity, and it’s a classic example of a chaotic system in physics.

The primary reason for the difficulty in finding an exact, closed-form solution to the three-body problem lies in its mathematical nature. When you have three or more interacting bodies, the equations that describe their motion become highly nonlinear and interdependent. These equations cannot be solved using simple algebraic or analytical methods, as they do not have straightforward closed-form solutions like many simpler problems in physics.

Additionally, the three-body problem exhibits chaotic behavior. In chaos theory, small changes in initial conditions can lead to drastically different outcomes over time. This sensitivity to initial conditions makes long-term predictions for complex systems like the three-body problem extremely challenging, if not impossible, to make with high precision.

End of ChatGPT.

Conclusion:

So even Kepler’s laws of motion are undone, as per the complete truth/science,  by three or more  planets that are gravitationally interconnected. MY overall implication is that –  when three molecules interact this nullifies exclusive determinism.
Try to think of an example where you do not have three bodies. Try to name a real-life phenomena where you do not have some emergence. Try to think of a place where you do not have some deterministic causality. While deterministic is mixed into the total causality and is also almost everywhere, we now know that determinism alone is very rare. We live in a deterministica and complex universe.

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Confirming the nature of determinism as a cause vs Self-organization as a separate type of cause

The bolded portions for emphasis was made by me. 

My Chat GPT entry:

I am writing a Blog that, I think, presents the broad, scientifically established opinion on the essential difference in causality between exclusive, strict determinism and the causality of emergence – self organization. I highlight the differences as 2 paradigms – The First Paradigm is exclusive, strict determinism and I say it is not valid when presented as exclusive because strict determinism is not sufficient to describe the causality of all known phenomena. I am positing that the First Paradigm – strict determinism is not valid as exclusive. I am positing a Second Paradigm is determinism, but; the Second Paradigm also includes emergence, self-organization – both – this is the valid view. I do not separate them because, in the real world, both work together for a resultant outcome. Determinism is based on deduction that yields formulas that have well known parameters as opposed to emergence. Emergence, self-organization is based on initial observations, we then use scientific methods and mathematical analysis and these yield results that are better than any known alternative. In large areas such as evolution and human behavioral studies, emergence is the only way to proceed because they are based on emergent phenomena. Please clarify, correct if necessary, and expand in the voice of the current, broad consensus on this discussion. Explain how the theory of emergence is mathematically based after computer advances allowed exploration of the logistics map and the Mandelbrot set. Explain how scientist also supported this by scientific concurrence in experimental and observational studies. Emergence was a shocking and totally unexpected outcome and the mathematics and science support observation of many real-life examples of emergence leading from weather up to life and consciousness. Make any ratification/agreement or correction you see fit.

End of first question

ChatGPT Answer: 05/31/2023   (my bold)

In the realm of causality and the understanding of complex phenomena, there has been an ongoing debate between two paradigms: strict determinism and emergence/self-organization. The broad, scientifically established consensus acknowledges that strict determinism alone is insufficient to describe the causality of all known phenomena. This realization has led to the recognition and acceptance of a Second Paradigm that combines determinism with the concept of emergence and self-organization. 

The First Paradigm, exclusive strict determinism, asserts that every event in the universe is determined by preceding causes, following a linear chain of cause and effect. However, it has become evident that this view is limited in its ability to explain various complex systems and phenomena. The Second Paradigm encompasses both determinism and emergence/self-organization, recognizing that these concepts work together to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the world.

Determinism, is based on deduction and seeks to establish causal relationships using well-defined parameters and formulas. It relies on the idea that given the initial conditions and the laws governing a system, the future behavior can be predicted with certainty. Deterministic models have been successful in explaining a wide range of phenomena, particularly in the physical sciences.

On the other hand, emergence and self-organization are based on the observation of complex systems and their behaviors. They take into account the idea that certain properties or patterns can arise spontaneously from the interactions of simpler components, leading to emergent phenomena that cannot be solely deduced from the properties of individual components. The study of emergence has gained significant momentum after advances in computer technology allowed for the exploration of complex mathematical systems like the logistics map and the Mandelbrot set. These mathematical models showcased the unexpected and fascinating behavior that emerges from relatively simple rules, providing a strong foundation for the concept of emergence.

Moreover, the scientific community has supported the theory of emergence through experimental and observational studies across various fields. One notable example is the study of evolution, where emergent phenomena, such as the emergence of new species and the diversification of life forms, cannot be explained solely through determinism. Similarly, in human behavioral studies, emergent properties like collective behavior, cultural dynamics, and consciousness cannot be understood by reducing them to deterministic principles.

The recognition of emergence as a valid perspective is not just based on theoretical considerations; it is backed by empirical evidence and real-life examples. The behavior of weather systems, for instance, exhibits emergent patterns that arise from the interactions of atmospheric elements. Emergence has also been observed in biological systems, where complex behaviors and functionalities emerge from the interactions of simpler organisms or cells.

In summary, the current, broad consensus within the scientific community acknowledges that the exclusive, strict determinism of the First Paradigm is insufficient to explain the causality of all known phenomena. The Second Paradigm, which combines determinism with emergence and self-organization, offers a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of complex systems. This perspective recognizes that both deterministic principles and emergent phenomena work together to shape the world we observe. The mathematical foundations of emergence, supported by advancements in computer science, coupled with empirical evidence from various scientific disciplines, provide a solid basis for embracing emergence as a vital aspect of causality in the natural world.

End of Chat-GPT answer.

(By the way, as a check, I tried the same question in another AI: Claude and got essentially the same answer.

The Mandelbrot set is claimed to be deterministic because a computer-generated set with specific parameters, if repeated, will generate the exact same output. It is said that this shows it is both emergent and deterministic. Comment on the limitation of a computer simulation vs real life. There almost always many artifacts in real life that will variegate output such as thermal factors and other background artifacts. In real life, with complex parameters, under these circumstances, repeated submissions are not deterministic. These artifacts are not marginal in a system where starting factors, though infinitesimal, will amplify variance in output. In fact, some systems of emergence such as evolution thrive on computational causality with a little artifact effects mixed in.

ChatGPT answer 5-31-2023

You make a valid point regarding the limitations of computer simulations compared to real-life phenomena. While computer simulations, such as generating the Mandelbrot set, can be considered deterministic in the sense that given the same starting parameters, they will produce the same output, they do not fully capture the complexities and variability present in real-life systems.

In real-life scenarios, there are numerous factors that can introduce variability or artifacts, leading to deviations from deterministic outcomes. These factors can include environmental influences, stochastic processes, random fluctuations, and the presence of background artifacts like thermal factors you mentioned. These variations can have a significant impact on the behavior and outcomes of complex systems.

In the case of emergence, where interactions among components give rise to novel properties and behaviors, the presence of these artifacts becomes even more pronounced. Complex systems often have multiple interacting parameters, and even small variations in these parameters or the presence of external artifacts can lead to divergent outcomes. This sensitivity to initial conditions, commonly referred to as the butterfly effect, implies that even infinitesimal changes can propagate and amplify over time, resulting in significant differences in the system’s behavior.

While deterministic principles still play a role in understanding emergent phenomena, the inherent variability and non-linearity present in real-life systems necessitate a broader perspective. It is precisely the interplay between deterministic principles and the effects of artifacts or variability that allows for the emergence of novel properties and behaviors. Evolution, as you mentioned, is a prime example of a system where computational causality (deterministic principles) interacts with the influence of external factors or artifacts (variability) to drive the emergence of diverse life forms.

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An attempt to explain why the universe does not need a cause.

I watched a segment of the TV Curiosity series that offered to show how they can explain the existence of the universe without a prior cause – without God. Of course, they did not mention God, (unfashionable) the Law of Conservation of Energy or The First Law of Thermodynamics. Are these minor things?

At the risk of being perceived as not open minded, I immediately braced for SHAZAM ! I waited for it.. This type of magic does not answer to any analysis or any type of logic or causality. It is how Captain Marvel exploded into his superhero form. A cheap form of Superman’s high gravity evolution story. He just says the word – SHAZAM -. That’s it.

Also, at the set up, as I have seen in similar attempts before, they quickly liquidated the inconvenient existence of time. This is an attempt to foil the obvious, (unavoidable?) question: “what came before?”  They flat-out stated that in this original state – there was no time!  no minimal tick – so no change – no next moment – so no trigger for next moment – alright it is a strain for me to conceive but I will go with their insistence.  This elimination foils any inquisitive and logical mind to wonder the obvious, annoying  repeating question –  “what came before?”

Oh no they can’t say what I think is coming. Yep they said it – – – “AND THEN”   and then?   = SHAZAM!. “And then” means in the next or later moment in time. You insisted there is no time in your frozen state. That is what you specified to avoid any “before” questions . Is this “and then” a minimal tick of no consequence?. Well, actually your final claim, if true, would be the biggest tick ever. It is cheaper than SHAZAM and that was ridiculous- shabby.

There is a meaning in cosmology of singularity to mean a unique condition and starting point. It has also been used to short circuit logic – “singularity” as if the use of a word, in itself,  is logic. This eliminates all previous science, logic  or causality.  You cannot and should not deny this paradox and the biggest exception of all. You can not answer the question  – “Why this singular exception” by calling it a “singularity” and trying to pass off the use of a word “singularity” as a logical proof that you do not have to consider cause!

And what about: No time? How can you have any Kinetic energy with out time?

Something seems to be missing.

It occurs to me that all this is quite unworthy of scientists. It almost seems like they started with a conclusion and worked (desperately?) backwards. I feel I am challenging someone’s religion. The irony is that many of them think they are too intelligent to consider having a religion. I have always considered that if anyone’s position on religion is atheism then that is their religion. I accept it as an attitude that defines their religious principle since they have no logical proof .

I will not sum up this presentation. It would bring out an unseemly sarcasm and I strictly avoid that.

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