A Random Universe Designed by God

[gluadys]

Came across ths interesting essay today.

A Random Universe Designed by God | Random Designer

 

[Resha Caner]

I just started reading "The Engine of Complexity" by John E Mayfield. I'm only a few pages into it, but he seems to take a similar position that randomness can, in a sense, design things. What caught my attention is that it seems he is trying to return the word "purpose" to discussions about evolution.

I don't know his religious/philosophical views, so I don't know what motivates that. It's not what drew me to the book, but I thought it was interesting. If anyone cares, it was the "evolution as computation" subtitle that intrigued me. I've seen a few debates in the professional literature recently regarding whether evolution is determined or not. It's interesting the circles in which we orbit. Over time a seeming place for randomness has crept into my thinking (though not as evolution would use it*) while a few biologists here and there continue to play with determinism.

* As a further footnote, gluadys, I'll note that your explanation of the TE view of randomness in our past discussion was most helpful.

 

[gluadys]

I just started reading "The Engine of Complexity" by John E Mayfield. I'm only a few pages into it, but he seems to take a similar position that randomness can, in a sense, design things. What caught my attention is that it seems he is trying to return the word "purpose" to discussions about evolution.

I don't know his religious/philosophical views, so I don't know what motivates that. It's not what drew me to the book, but I thought it was interesting. If anyone cares, it was the "evolution as computation" subtitle that intrigued me. I've seen a few debates in the professional literature recently regarding whether evolution is determined or not. It's interesting the circles in which we orbit. Over time a seeming place for randomness has crept into my thinking (though not as evolution would use it*) while a few biologists here and there continue to play with determinism.

* As a further footnote, gluadys, I'll note that your explanation of the TE view of randomness in our past discussion was most helpful.

Thanks.

I am pretty much convinced that the reality of the quantum basis of the whole material world rules out any absolute determinism, whether it is based in theology (e.g some extreme forms of Calvinism) or atheism (e.g. Daniel Dennett or B.F. Skinner). It seems to me that thoroughgoing determinism is incompatible with creativity on divine, human and natural levels.

 

[Resha Caner]

Whether or not I agree with you would depend on the details of how you employ the word "absolute" in your statement.

If God wills something, it is then determined. Beyond that I would agree nothing is absolutely determined - though by observing the patterns of the material world we have learned to make much of our will come to pass as well.

It will be interesting to see what Mayfield makes of randomness becoming complexity since, in my view, we are what we are more in spite of randomness rather than because of it.