Predestination vs. Free Will

[pragmatic55]

aaa

[GrandpaDave]

You seem to be assuming that the “first cause” is only that. God on the other hand is involved along the way.

[smiling_bandit]

@Half_Man_Half_Wit

While this is right, in principle, quantum mechanics is nevertheless perfectly compatible with a deterministic universe. Only interpretations that include some sort of wave-function collapse introduce indeterminism; those in which it doesn’t happen (like many worlds, or relative states, etc.), or those in which it is merely apparent (decoherence) have as their only process unitary Schrödinger-evolution, which is reversible, and hence, deterministic.

Potentially, but not necessarily. And then there’s the many-worlds model, which suggests that we all take all possible actions.

[Czarcasm]

@GrandpaDave

You seem to be assuming that the “first cause” is only that. God on the other hand is involved along the way.

You seem to be assuming “God”.

[Half_Man_Half_Wit]

@smiling_bandit

Potentially, but not necessarily.

What are you referring to? Schrödinger evolution is necessarily deterministic; the future state of the wave function can be determined exactly applying Schrödinger’s equation. It’s only the apparent collapse in a measurement context that introduces indeterminism – potentially, but not necessarily.

[smiling_bandit]

@Half_Man_Half_Wit

What are you referring to? Schrödinger evolution is necessarily deterministic; the future state of the wave function can be determined exactly applying Schrödinger’s equation. It’s only the apparent collapse in a measurement context that introduces indeterminism – potentially, but not necessarily.

I mean that from our perspective there’s no way to tell which (if either) is actually correct, and therefore it’s irrelevant.