Philosophical musings on Quanta & Qualia;  Materialism & Spiritualism; Science & Religion; Pragmatism & Idealism, etc.

   Post 113.  January 8, 2021 continued  . . . .

  Aristotle and Einstein

   Eternal versus Evolving Universe

 Since the Big Bang Theory could easily be interpreted as a Creation Event, and Quantum Theory undermined some basic assumptions of Materialism, a few scientists searched for a godless materialist alternative. Their Many Worlds & Multiverse interpretations are derived from the arcane mathematics of the Quantum Wave Function, which is inherently probabilistic. One problem with such hypotheses is that statistical Probability defines a future, un-actualized, state – which is possible, but not actual. Besides, mathematics deals with abstractions from reality, not with Reality per se. So, Feser argues that “the most natural way to interpret a notion like that of a superposition is as a rediscovery of the Aristotelian concept of potentiality”. Hence, the physical changes that we observe in evolution are the actualization of potential, the realization of unreal (ideal) Forms. Ironically, the Block Time Universe, proposed to make sense of Einstein’s Relativity theory, “suggests a picture of the world as entirely actualized and devoid of potential”. But then, “quantum mechanics . . . suggests a picture of matter as purely potential”. So, those conflicting views need to be reconciled into a single understanding. One way to do that is to attribute the Block Universe perspective to a god-like omniscient view from above and outside the space-time Creation. And “virtual” quantum particles are what we see on the leading-edge of on-going evolutionary creation, coming into being.

Biblical (intelligent) Creation took only seven days to reach the level of a viable self-sustaining universe. But, if we accept the astronomical evidence for the Big Bang theory, the creation “event” is actually a prolonged succession of events over millions of Earth-years. So, that’s what I like to call “Intelligent Evolution”17. The primordial Singularity was like the kernel of computer program, and the “bang” was when the Programmer executed the “operating system” (natural laws) and the set-up (initial conditions) that were necessary to initiate the sequence of events, which are still unfolding before our eyes. In Biological evolution, emergent properties are taken for granted, in the form of new species that never existed before. But in Physics, the notion of Emergence18 is controversial, even though we observe phenomena like tornados suddenly pop-up as-if from nowhere. That’s why storm-watchers are always on the look-out for changing conditions, from which a whirlwind might possibly “emerge”. Likewise, phase transitions, like water to ice, seem to change physical form without going through intermediate causal stages. These transformations are clearly natural, not magical, so we assume that the missing links merely occur too quickly, or at a sub-atomic level.

However, the sudden emergence of an entire universe from out of no-where & no-time is still mysterious. But Aristotle would find it unsurprising that some Potential properties become manifest, and some Actual properties become virtual. A similar problem arises, that Ari attributed to Primary & Second-ary qualities. According to Feser, the distinction is “entirely mind-dependent”. Primary properties are perceptions, while secondary qualities are conceptions – i.e. interpretations of of perceptions. From a different perspective, primary properties are mathematical relations in the world, while secondary qualities are meaningful relationships in the mind. But both are dependent on physical sensors.

                     Post 113 continued . . . click Next

Evolutionary creation of the Universe

17. Intelligent Evolution :
   The Enformationism world-view and the BothAnd philosophy are based on a composite personal under-standing of how the world works. It’s a blend of both empirical scientific facts and theoretical religious myths. It accepts the general concept of natural evolution, but offers a detailed hypothesis to explain how that cause & effect process began from an ultimate act of causation.     The thesis developed from that kernel will seem un-scientific to some, and blasphemous to others. But it’s intended to be a reasonable theory derived from commonly accepted facts, plus a few notions from the cutting-edge of 21st century knowledge.
http://bothandblog5.enformationism.info/page2.html

18. Emergence :
  “ the process of coming into view or becoming exposed after being concealed.”
     Emergence is a continuous process that appears to be sudden only because the mind reaches a tipping-point of under-standing between an old meaning and a new meaning, causing a phase-change from one logical category to another.
http://blog-glossary.enformationism.info/page8.html  

Aristotle’s Revenge
The Metaphysical Foundations  of Physical and Biological Science

Edward Feser
Philosopher of
Metaphysics & Natural Theology

“Aristotelian metaphysics is not only compatible with modern science, but is implicitly presupposed by modern science.”

The INCEPTION