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2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44
Here's why fatalism is different.
What is determinism
Determinism is a theory about interconnection and interdependence. According to her, human actions, natural and social phenomena can be explained by previous events and the laws of nature. It is also called the belief in the predetermination of everything that happens.
It is generally believed that determinism completely excludes free will. However, you should not confuse it with the concepts of predictability and fate and equate it with fatalism. The latter is based on a mystical belief in the inevitability of events. Determinism explains the predetermination of the future by the laws of nature.
What modern science thinks about determinism
In science, determinism has experienced periods of upsurge and decline. Since the 17th century, scientists have contrasted the theory with mysticism and belief in the will of chance. They believed that everything in the universe could be predicted through complex calculations. However, in the first half of the 20th century, the discovery of the principles of relativity and uncertainty shook these ideas.
A renewed interest in determinism among scientists appeared in the 1960s due to the development of neurosciences. Results;;; experiments to study brain activity have led researchers to question the reality of free will. It turned out that when making a decision, our actions can be ahead of the brain by a few seconds. For example, when you need to select one of two buttons and click on it. Therefore, some modern scientists believe that our behavior depends on fluctuations in the level of the hormones serotonin and dopamine.
However, not everyone shares this view. Critics believe that such experiences have nothing to do with the decision-making process, but only record spontaneous movements. It is also believed that anticipatory activity is associated with the characteristics of the brain. He has peak moments when a person thinks very quickly, if required.
Finally, experiments generally do not record anticipatory actions when making more complex decisions. For example, when the subjects are asked to donate money.
What determinism can teach us
Although the status of determinism in modern science is ambiguous, this concept can still be useful.
We cannot control everything
Our understanding of the world is very far from objective. We do not know the Universe and ourselves well, we cannot change the past and ignore the laws of nature. We are not even sure that we make decisions ourselves. Accept the idea that you cannot control everything and everyone.
Don't worry about the past
Determinism in the social sciences has found expression in the idea of historical continuity. This principle means that a person and society depend on the conditions that the previous generation passed on to them. We cannot influence the place and time of our birth, what is given to us by nature, the actions that we have already done. This means that you shouldn't worry about it.
The future is also unpredictable
The determinists of the past believed that in order to predict the future of the Universe, it is enough to know its initial position and all the forces acting in it. However, today both supporters and opponents of this concept understand that this requires an intelligence that can hardly exist.
Do not expect that everything will turn out the way you intended. Life is unpredictable, and you need to be able to adapt plans to changing circumstances.
Nevertheless, we are responsible for our actions
Not all determinists deny moral responsibility. Some of them believe that it is determinism that helps a person to soberly assess himself and the world and foresee the results of his actions. The concept of compatibilism has existed since the 17th century. Its supporters believe that determinism is compatible with free will. Although the future of the universe is predetermined, people can still act according to their own minds. The point in the debate about whether we ourselves make decisions has not yet been put. Therefore, it is we who live with our actions and be responsible for them, if we have to. And we only have a choice here and now.
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