Re: What the Hell is a Determinism Anyhow?

On 30 Mar 2006 13:36:16 -0800, "JGCASEY" <jgkjcasey@xxxxxxxxxxxx> in
comp.ai.philosophy wrote:



[ ... ]

JC wrote:
Determined means the current state always follows the
previous state.

Lester Zick wrote:

So determinism means that the current state of affairs
followed the previous state of affairs? How marvelous.
This really helps a lot.


Well it does help a lot. Note I used the word *always*.

I don't know many states of affairs that don't always follow
previous states of affairs.

That is a little more restrictive than "one thing follows
another". It says P *always* follows Q. If it doesn't
than it is not a determinate system.

Which doesn't say anything more than states of affairs "always"
follow previous states of affairs. Which is pretty much my
understanding of "previous".

We explain how something works by looking for a set of
variables that makes the system determinate or statistically
determinate. Otherwise there is nothing we can say about
the system because it is unpredictable.

Yeah but does it still always follow previous states of affairs?
According to your definition that makes it a determinism.

An indeterminate system is an unexplained system.

So an undeterminism doesn't follow previous states of affairs?
Curiouser and curiouser. No wonder you guys do so much AI
because you sure as hell don't do much I.

Now we can reply to Dan that when he complains about a
lack of determinism what he means is that the current
state of affairs didn't follow the previous state of
affairs.

I can't make comments about what Dan might mean.

You can't seem to make comments about what you say either, John.

But things don't have to be "material" to be subject to
scientific investigation. Is the electromagnetic wave
"material"? They only have to have an effect which is
regular and reproducible. And they can only be understood
or explained in terms of those regularities.

I only asked about determinisms and undeterminisms to start off
with something a lot simpler than material and immaterial.

If ghosts were as regular and reproducible as people
I would believe in them.

Instead you just prefer to believe in deterministic states of affaris
which follow previous states of affairs and indeterministic states of
affairs which presumably don't follow previous states of affairs.

~v~~

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: What the Hell is a Determinism Anyhow?
    ... Lester Zick wrote: ... I don't know many states of affairs that don't always ... So now a determinism is a particular state of affairs always being ... interested in knowing what determinisms and undeterminisms are. ...
    (comp.ai.philosophy)
  • Re: What the Hell is a Determinism Anyhow?
    ... Lester Zick wrote: ... I don't know many states of affairs that don't always ... I suspect you know exactly what I mean. ... Determinism is when a *particular* state of affairs P ...
    (comp.ai.philosophy)
  • Re: What the Hell is a Determinism Anyhow?
    ... Lester Zick wrote: ... followed the previous state of affairs? ... I can't make comments about what Dan might mean. ... If ghosts were as regular and reproducible as people ...
    (comp.ai.philosophy)