Physical determinism

Physical determinism generally refers to the assertion of a deterministic physical universe (greater physical system). for example, a quantum state or a thermodynamic state. Physical determinism includes (but is not restricted to) nomological determinism, which holds that all future events are governed by the past or present according to all-encompassing deterministic laws.<ref nameVihvelin/><ref nameHorst /><ref name="Huoranszki2011" /><ref namestanfordcausaldeterminism /><ref name"Raman2009" /><ref name="SmythiesKuhlenbeck1965" /><ref name="Gomez2005" />
The concept of physical determinism has also been used to denote the predictability of a physical system, although this usage is uncommon.<ref name="Hunt1987" /><ref name="Espagnat2006" /> Physical determinism can also be viewed as an observed phenomenon of our experience, or a thesis only relevant to mathematical models of physics and other physical sciences.<ref nameBishop /> Physical determinism has also been used as a specific deterministic hypothesis about human behavior.<ref name"BoyleGrisez1976" /> Although somewhat unrelated to its standard context, physical determinism has also been used in social engineering theory.<ref name="Camhis1979" />
History
The notion of physical determinism takes its classical form in the ideas of Laplace, who posited (in agreement with the physics of his time) that an omniscient observer (called sometimes Laplace's demon) knowing with infinite precision the positions and velocities of every particle in the universe could predict the future entirely.<ref name=Solomon/> Although such an omniscient observer is a hypothetical construct, and infinite precision exceeds the capacities of human measurement, the illustration is presented as a statement of what in principle would be possible if physical determinism were true, and so reduction to practice is not an issue.
Physical determinism is currently under heavy debate in modern science. For example, physical indeterminism has been proposed to accommodate various interpretations of quantum mechanics. Suggestions have also been made to reformulate the conception of determinism with respect to its application to physical law.<ref nameNagel/><ref nameBishop/>
Causal completeness
Physical determinism is related to the question of causal completeness of physics, which is synonymous with the weaker form of causal closure. This is the idea that every real event has a scientific explanation, that science need not search for explanations beyond itself.<ref nameSarkar/> If causal completeness does not apply to everything in the universe, then the door is open to events that are not subject to physical law.<ref nameAtmanspacher/> For example, a relatively common view of mental events is that they are an epiphenomenon produced as a by-product of neurological activity, and without causal impact. In this case, only a failure of deterministic physical law would allow room for their causal significance.
Other formulations
A more modern formulation of physical determinism skirts the issue of causal completeness. It is based upon connections between 'events' supplied by a theory:
This quote replaces the idea of 'cause-and-effect' with that of 'logical implication' according to one or another theory that connects events. In addition, an 'event' is related by the theory itself to formalized states described using the parameters defined by that theory. Thus, the details of interpretation are placed where they belong, fitted to the context in which the chosen theory applies. Using the definition of physical determinism above, the limitations of a theory to some particular domain of experience also limits the associated definition of 'physical determinism' to that same domain.

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