Predestination and Science

[iohannes13]

I caught an episode of the series Fabric of the Cosmos (which is an amazing series) on PBS regarding Time. I found it very interesting that one of the conclusions that some scientists arrived to when contemplating Time is that the future already exists and there is nothing that we can do to change it. Some scientists believe the opposite. What I find very interesting is that their experiments, calculations, debates, etc. etc. etc. sounds very much like the Catholic Church’s rich history of contemplating predestination vs. free will. The scientists just approach it differently.

 

[chaela_may]

science often coincides with holy mother church’s teachings that way. in this way, science and faith are different lenses through which to see the world, allowing for a greater depth of perception.

 

[hicetnunc]

There is however a significant difference between determinism and predestination. We should also note that the conclusion of some of these scientists (viz, the one’s who hold that the future is already determined) is not a scientific hypothesis properly speaking but a metaphysical one.

Causal determinism of the kind treated of in the show ultimately denies that there is any such thing as genuine free will; to the hard determinist, free will is an illusion.

This is not the case with predestination in Catholic theology (again, we must distinguish between the Catholic and Calvinist understandings of predestination) which does not eliminiate free will but rather gives it its fullest meaning.

And I agree with you…the series is fascinating!

 

[iohannes13]

There is however a significant difference between determinism and predestination. We should also note that the conclusion of some of these scientists (viz, the one’s who hold that the future is already determined) is not a scientific hypothesis properly speaking but a metaphysical one.

Causal determinism of the kind treated of in the show ultimately denies that there is any such thing as genuine free will; to the hard determinist, free will is an illusion.

This is not the case with predestination in Catholic theology (again, we must distinguish between the Catholic and Calvinist understandings of predestination) which does not eliminiate free will but rather gives it its fullest meaning.

And I agree with you…the series is fascinating!

Thanks for pointing that out some of the nuances (i.e. hypothesis vs metaphysical nature of their conclusions). I did understand that some believed that free will is an illusion. But I had not picked up on the other things you mentions. Thumbs up to you.