Metaphysics is like physics and then some right?

[angharad_gam]

I have been reading a little bit lately about Leibniz, who generally plays second fiddle to Newton as the guy who also invented calculus. His theory of monadology is supposedly a more complete way of formulating a deterministic universe in which free will is nevertheless possible than Newton's ideas. This set me to wondering. The necessity of free will arises from Christian philosophy because unless one has free will one cannot genuinely be saved (although not all branches of Christianity hold to this principle). But I wonder if there is any requirement for free will in an atheistic universe? If there is no metaphysical requirement that we have the capacity to make a choice, is there any logical grounds for asuming that we do. Even quantum mechanics, while not strictly deterministic, can be framed as nothing more than a set of probabilities that any given state will occur. So predicting whether I will go and make Erin a sandwich for her school lunch at 10pm or will linger at the computer until 10:30pm might just be a matter of a sufficiently detailed multi-state model and an awful lot of CPU time.

In other news, Ashwyn is finally consenting to sit on the potty. He hasn't managed to do anything there yet. He just sits on it and plays X-Box. Although last week he apparently took his shorts and nappy off and did a wee on the back step. Progress?

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That's better. It's not clear to me that either sentience or a deterministic universe necessitate the existence of free will. I mean it's almost the point of a wyrd that the more you struggle against it the more you actually bring it about. And just because we are aware of our condition and can question it does not mean that we are not completely confined in our choices by genetics, upbringing, environment etc. Unfortunately this is a circular argument. It's hard to say that you made any choice freely without the influence of these things.

I've always found the many worlds theory of quantum mechanic to be rather unsatisfactory. I mean what is the mechanism for creating a new universe at any decision point? I do not object at all, on the other hand, to the many worlds version of the weak anthropic principle.

But the Copenhagen Interpretation makes my head hurt, mostly because I don't think I properly understand Bell's Inequality or its consequences. A part of my brain (the lurking Yorkshire woman I suspect) just says 'the damn cat is either alive or dead, we just don't know what happens until we look'.

mmmm donuts

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