In the history of science, Newton's theory of gravity offered a detailed explanation of various physical processes. It gave a mechanical view of the universe, and the French scientist Marquis Pierre-Simon de Laplace in the nineteenth century claimed that Newton's laws indicated that the universe was entirely deterministic. Laplace believed that given a set of scientific laws one would be able to predict everything that happened in the universe. Laplace expanded Newton's laws by not limiting them only to physical phenomena but to human behavior as well.
Throughout history, many have felt opposed to the concept of rigorous scientific determinism as it undermined not only human freedom and free will, but also limited God's powers. As such, God would not be free to intervene in and interfere with the world. In various cases, these beliefs have created an increasing gap between the domains of science and religion.
The Impact of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle on Modern Science
The German scientist Werner Heisenberg challenged scientific determinism with the concept of the uncertainty principle. In quantum theory, it becomes difficult to correctly predict the position and movement of a particle at the same time. When one tries to measure the position of a given particle it becomes more difficult to measure its speed, and vice versa. There always remains a certain “uncertainty” in the mass and/or velocity of the particle, commonly referred to by scientists as Planck's constant.
These findings have had significant repercussions in one's paradigm about the world. It negated Laplace's efforts for a holistic deterministic theory since one would hardly be able to exactly predict future events if one had not the ability to “measure the present state of the universe” in an accurate manner. These findings have then posed a serious problem in the previously held scientific conception about the universe.
Does God play Dice with the Universe?
In quantum mechanics then one does not have a single definite result but is faced with an array of possible outcomes and an estimate of the probability of its occurrence. As such, quantum mechanics “introduces an unavoidable element of unpredictability or randomness into science,” something that may be a blow to the confidence and determination of the scientific domain. Yet Einstein disagreed with the conclusions of quantum physics and famously stated that “God does not play dice” with the universe. Einstein was denying the ever increasing presence of chance and randomness in scientific thought.
While quantum mechanics may have posed a problem for scientific certainty, it may on the other hand, provide a loophole or escape from the constraints of scientific determinism. It may show that certain events may be more difficult to pinpoint as a scientist and there might be a certain level of chance and randomness involved in these matters. This lack of absolute certainty may then offer a view that would contain more freedom and flexibility in the universe and in matters pertaining to human behavior.
Sources
Hawking, Stephen. A Brief History of Time. New York: Bantam Books, 1998.
Readers may also enjoy Hawking's Definition of Scientific Theories about the Universe, The Conflict between Science and Scholasticism in Philosophy, and Differences between Medieval World and Renaissance Philosophy.
Arash Farzaneh - Arash Farzaneh is a writer and a language professor. He has a Master's degree in French literature with a minor in Psychology. Since his ...
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