It appears very counter intuitive to say we don't have choice. But do we really have? At any given time instant, we can do only one thing and not another.. and it looks like we choose to do what to do at that time instant. Now, suppose the choice is already made (not by us, but the situation demands that a particular thing is to be done and not another.. the all perfect model can theoritically predict this choice) and we dont know this. In such a situation, we feel we chose to do that particular thing, even though we really had no other choice. An illusion?? If we really have choice, then we should be able to go back in time and change our choice and do another thing at that same time instant.., which is not possible in reality.
The unidirectional time really leaves us with no choice!!
So assuming the choice is already made, the next question is who decides what choice we make? Or is there any reason for us to believe that there exists someone who decides our choices?
Hmm.. let's say all the knowledge is known and the perfect model of the universe is available. With this perfect model and the initial conditions in hand, we can predict the evolution of the universe in time. This, in effect, will help us in knowing what choices a person makes at a particular time instant. So, it doesn't look like there is someone making choices for us, but the universe once started will take care of itself, with the supply of energy.
And probably this source of energy and starter of the universe is called God by all our scriptures (atleast this is my idea of God). God as just a 'source of energy' seems to be pretty bland/lifeless. Since we humans who are a part of the universe have consciousness (now what is consciousness??), we can safely attribute this (certainly a higher level of) consciousness to the 'source of energy' and hence the all powerful God.
Hmm... it really luks like our fates depend on how God decides the universe to be!
Sunday, October 16, 2005
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I humbly beg to differ.
ReplyDeleteKnowing the initial conditions and the "knowledge of the universe", by which you mean the dynamics or equations that spell out the dependencies between different variables & time, we needn't always come up with a fixed value for a variable. We could end up with a random variable that offers it a sample space and a probability distribution function.
In that case a variable need not end up taking the same value at a fixed instant in time, even if the initial conditions and the dynamics are known.
This could to lead to "choice" could it not?
Now what if the probability distribution function includes inputs like "external state - state of surroundings", "internal state - state of mind or thought process"?
This could lead to conscious choice that could be decided by the variable itself (in this case a person) on what value to take, (though subject to some constraints).
BP, nice to see u here..
ReplyDeleteMy post is based on the assumptions that the initial conditions are perfectly known (no randomness) and the dynamics are also deterministic (again no stochastic diff eqs.). With these assumptions, I think the evolution of the states will also be deterministic.
However, in the quantum world, apparently, randomness is not due to any "unknown knowledge", but an intrinsic feature.. so all this is just hypothetical.
I must apologize.
ReplyDeleteI was reading your blogs in the reverse chronological order. In your immediately earlier blog to this, you talked about the condition where you know everything deterministically. I have seen that after I commented here.
Sorry again.