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Contingency and the order of nature
1Philosophy Department, Durham University, Durham, UK; Philosophy Department, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
Embrace agnosticism about universal deterministic laws. Focus on observable order, using powers and mechanisms to explain phenomena, which resolves ontological, theological, and epistemological challenges in scientific understanding.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Science
- Metaphysics
- Epistemology
Background:
- The prevailing view posits universal deterministic laws governing nature.
- This perspective faces challenges in explaining scientific modeling and knowledge acquisition.
Observation:
- Order in nature is observed selectively and to varying degrees.
- Current scientific models effectively explain phenomena without assuming universal laws.
Findings:
- Advocates for an agnostic stance on universal deterministic laws.
- Proposes replacing universal laws with an ontology of powers and mechanisms.
- This approach resolves ontological, theological, and epistemological problems.
Implications:
- Explains the success of scientific models across disciplines.
- Avoids issues of cosmic determinism, allowing for contingency.
- Offers theological advantages by decoupling events from initial conditions.
- Addresses the epistemological problem of learning laws from a single universal object.
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