Re: [asa] PvM's View of What Science IS

That's not much different from science's inability to state when a
particular atom is going to 'decay' and yet it can very well describe
a collection of atoms. Other examples are emergence properties,
chaotic behavior which are all instance in which science may have a
hard time explaining the exact behavior, partially because it may not
know all the relevant variables and partially because the solutions
diverge quickly from close initial conditions.

That we may not be able to predict every action of any particular
person may be more an indication of our ignorance. Does free will need
anything more than this? Is there any evidence that free will exists
which is more than this? How would one go about addressing this issue?
Is free will indeed, as some suggest, outside the purview of science
as it is a theological concept?
Perhaps a definition of ID could be helpful

On 9/18/07, Carol or John Burgeson <burgytwo@juno.com> wrote:
>
>
> Such, when they deal with statistical probabilities, probably qualify. But I
> maintain that when they address an individual person, they cannot, even in
> principle, predict how that person will decide on something.
>

While one may want to believe that this is indeed the case, what
evidence do we have. After all scientific investigation can predict
particular behaviors. Of course you can call this not an example of
free will but then the definition of free will become as tautological
as the concept of information in Intelligent Design.

On 9/18/07, Carol or John Burgeson <burgytwo@juno.com> wrote:
>
>
Free will, which I assert I have, is simply the capability to make a
decision regardless of what "particles are hitting particles" in my
brain. Much of what I do, and I presume that much of what other humans
do, is "go with the flow," and, as such, is probably NOT exercises of
free will. But there are times, and I suspect for most these times
might comes many times during a day, when free will is exercised. That
means simply this -- no scientific investigation, even in principle,
could possibly tell in advance whether I will choose A or B (or
something else).

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Received on Tue Sep 18 23:48:35 2007