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Is Our Fate Sealed or Are We Doomed? A Philosophical Inquiry into Determinism (107480)
Session: On Demand
Room: Virtual Video Presentation
Presentation Type: Virtual Presentation
This paper challenges the ontological status of probability in scientific explanation, arguing that probabilistic frameworks represent epistemological limitations rather than fundamental features of physical reality. We examine whether apparent randomness in natural phenomena reflects inherent indeterminacy or incomplete knowledge of deterministic causal mechanisms. Through analysis of paradigmatic cases—from classical mechanics (coin tosses) to complex systems (traffic accidents, neural processes)—we demonstrate how deterministic physical parameters fully specify outcomes that probabilistic models can only approximate. We argue that the predictive success of probability theory derives from computational tractability rather than ontological randomness. The coin toss illustrates this: while probability theory assigns P=0.5 to each outcome, the actual result follows deterministically from initial conditions (applied force, angular momentum, air resistance, surface properties). We extend this framework to biological and cognitive phenomena, proposing that consciousness and decision-making emerge from deterministic physicochemical processes. Neural activity, governed by electrochemical reactions and molecular interactions, follows causal chains that are deterministic in principle though computationally intractable in practice. The analysis addresses potential objections from quantum mechanics, distinguishing between quantum-level indeterminacy and macroscopic determinism. We argue that even granting quantum randomness, biological and social phenomena operate at scales where deterministic structures dominate, making probabilistic frameworks useful approximations rather than ontological necessities. This reconceptualization has implications for foundational questions in philosophy of science, moral philosophy, and cognitive science, particularly regarding agency, responsibility, and causation. We propose that viewing probability as measuring ignorance rather than chance offers a parsimonious explanatory framework for natural phenomena while preserving practical utility.
Authors:
Syed Wasim Parvez, Independent Scholar, India
Aneesah Nishaat, Higashi Nippon International University, Japan
About the Presenter(s)
MBA student
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