Rotman Dialogue with Jenann Ismael: How Physics Makes Us Free
TLDRThe speaker explores the intersection of free will and determinism, emphasizing the importance of understanding human choices within the context of classical physics. They argue that despite the deterministic nature of Newtonian laws, our actions are not predetermined, as the future is not fixed before we act. The talk delves into the local causal structure of the universe, suggesting that our decisions are influenced by our ongoing mental life and interactions with the environment, rather than a predetermined fate.
Takeaways
- 🌌 The speaker discusses the impact of decisions at the cosmic scale versus the human scale, suggesting that individual choices may not influence the universe but are pivotal in one's own life.
- 🔍 The script emphasizes the importance of understanding the nature of our choices from a physical perspective, particularly in the context of classical physics where determinism is often assumed.
- 🚀 The speaker argues that Newtonian laws are effective for understanding human actions because we are warm, large, and slow entities, which aligns with the scale at which humans operate.
- 🏛 The architecture of the cosmos is described with stratigraphic layers, from micro to macro structures, and humans are situated within this classical level where most of our causal understanding applies.
- 🧠 The phenomenology of human experience is seen as arising from the interaction between an agent and its environment, with the agent's mental life processing and organizing information to guide behavior.
- 🔄 The speaker suggests that the recovery of human experience involves both external and internal factors, with the coupling of these factors being key to understanding human agency.
- 🤔 The concept of determinism is explored in relation to human behavior, with the speaker arguing that the ability to act spontaneously is compatible with deterministic laws.
- 🔮 The script challenges the idea that a 'transcendent demon' could predict all actions, highlighting the limitations of prediction due to the causal structure of the universe.
- 🕊 The speaker asserts that determinism does not negate the sense of control humans have over their actions, as the locus of control is seen as residing in our decisions.
- 🌐 The script touches on the relativity of time, suggesting that our ongoing mental life should be viewed from different temporal standpoints as we move through our lives.
- 🔄 The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding the local causal structure of the world and how it relates to our perception of time and control over our actions.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the discussion in the transcript?
-The main theme of the discussion is the relationship between determinism in physics and the concept of free will, particularly how our choices and actions are influenced by physical laws and whether they are predetermined or contingent.
Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of looking at human scale when discussing free will?
-The speaker emphasizes the human scale because it is at this level that the impact of our choices is most directly felt and where the debate about free will versus determinism becomes most relevant to our everyday experiences and decisions.
What does the speaker mean by 'the architecture of the cosmos'?
-By 'the architecture of the cosmos,' the speaker is referring to the hierarchical structure of the universe, ranging from micro to macro and large-scale structures, and how human beings fit into this hierarchy in terms of the physical laws that govern them.
How does the speaker relate quantum mechanics to the discussion of free will?
-The speaker mentions quantum mechanics to highlight that at the quantum level, our understanding of physical laws is less certain, which could potentially offer a different perspective on the determinism versus free will debate, although the focus remains on classical physics for clarity and relevance to human-scale actions.
What is the significance of Newtonian laws in the context of the discussion?
-Newtonian laws are significant because they represent the effective physics for objects as warm, big, and slow as humans. The speaker uses them to argue that our actions and decisions are governed by these laws, which are deterministic, yet still allow for a sense of free will.
What does the speaker mean by 'local causal structure'?
-The 'local causal structure' refers to the idea that within a specific area or context, the causes and effects are determined by the immediate surroundings and conditions, rather than by some distant or overarching force or law.
How does the speaker address the compatibility of determinism with our sense of control over our actions?
-The speaker argues that our sense of control over our actions is compatible with determinism because we have the ability to regulate the impact of the environment on our behavior and make spontaneous decisions, which is a part of our local causal structure.
What is the 'transcendent demon' concept mentioned by the speaker?
-The 'transcendent demon' is a hypothetical entity that knows all the laws of the universe and could, in principle, predict all future events perfectly. The speaker uses this concept to explore the limits of predictability and the implications for free will.
How does the speaker explain the paradox of predictability in the context of determinism?
-The speaker explains that the paradox of predictability arises because the act of making a prediction and the subsequent action of the predicted individual creates a new event that was not causally determined by the past, thus showing that determinism does not necessarily lead to predictability.
What role does the speed of light play in the discussion about determinism and predictability?
-The speed of light acts as a limit to the information that can be known at any given point in time, which means that even with deterministic laws, there will always be unknown factors that affect future outcomes, thus preserving the element of unpredictability and free will.
How does the speaker connect the discussion of free will to the concept of time?
-The speaker connects the discussion by suggesting that our ongoing mental life and decision-making processes should be viewed from different temporal standpoints within a four-dimensional manifold, emphasizing that our perception and experience of time are integral to the debate on free will.
Outlines
🌌 The Human Scale and the Illusion of Determinism
The speaker begins by pondering the cosmic scale versus the human scale of decision-making. They suggest that while the cosmic scale may seem deterministic, at the human level, choices feel contingent and not set in stone. The speaker aims to understand the sense of agency in life and how physics, particularly classical physics, views the status of our choices. They discuss the relevance of Newtonian laws to human-scale actions and the idea that adding new layers of physics doesn't necessarily change our understanding of human agency. The speaker also touches on the architecture of the cosmos, suggesting that human beings arise at a classical level where most of our understanding of causality and temporal symmetries is preserved.
🕵️♂️ Local Causality and the Illusion of Predictability
In this paragraph, the speaker delves into the concept of local causality and how it allows systems, including humans, to regulate environmental impacts on their behavior. They argue that the ability to act spontaneously is compatible with deterministic laws. The speaker challenges the idea of a 'transcendent demon' that could predict all actions, highlighting the limitations of predictability due to the local causal structure. They discuss how determinism does not necessarily lead to predictability, especially when considering the counterfactual nature of decision-making and the role of the agent in the environment. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the local causal structure to see why the deterministic view does not undermine our sense of control over our actions.
🔮 The Relativity of Time and the Insufficiency of Past Information
The speaker explores the concept of time in the context of determinism and predictability, particularly focusing on the theories of relativity. They argue that there is never enough information in the past to fix the future, contrary to what a deterministic view might suggest. The speaker explains that in relativity, the future is not predetermined by the total state before one acts, as the future actions are not causally fixed before they occur. They use the light cone analogy to illustrate that the future is not accessible by information from the past, and thus, predictions about future events are inherently limited. The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of viewing time from different standpoints and understanding the ongoing mental life as a series of assessments from different temporal perspectives.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Cosmic Scale
💡Determinism
💡Quantum Mechanics
💡Free Will
💡Human Scale
💡Classical Physics
💡Causal Structure
💡Local Causality
💡Relativity
💡Mental Life
💡Predictability
Highlights
The importance of considering individual choices and their impact on the future at a human scale, rather than the cosmic scale.
The book aims to explore the sense of agency and control over one's life and reconcile it with what physics says about the status of our choices.
Focusing on classical physics to understand human action, as it provides a deterministic framework that is supposed to be the context where the challenge to freedom arises.
Newtonian laws are the effective physics for warm, big, and slow things like humans, according to our current understanding.
The architecture of the cosmos has different levels, and humans arise at the classical level where most of our beliefs about causality and temporal symmetries can be recovered.
Adding new layers of physics underneath the classical level does not affect our understanding of human agency and experience.
The human being is a natural part of the fabric of nature, and understanding human experience involves building up external infrastructure and interaction with the environment.
Phenomenology arises from the coupled interaction between an agent and its environment, with the agent bringing its own asymmetries and capabilities.
There is a local causal structure that allows systems like humans to regulate the impact of the environment on their behavior and have counter-predictive abilities.
The ability to act spontaneously and the sense of control over one's behavior is compatible with the existence of deterministic laws.
A system with complete knowledge of all factors could theoretically predict all actions, but this does not undermine the ability to control one's own actions.
The challenge is to understand why determinism does not entail that we should be able to predict the behavior of anything, despite common assumptions.
The paradox of predictability arises from the causal process between revealing a prediction and acting on it, producing a new event that is causally relevant to the action.
In relativity, the future is not fixed before one acts, as there is always additional information outside the light cone that is not accessible at a given point.
The local on-the-ground causal structure is never enough information in the past to fix the future, which is a key aspect of determinism.
Relativity provides a clearer picture of determinism, as the total state is not fixed before one acts, unlike the Newtonian context.
The ongoing mental life of a human being can be represented as looking at a four-dimensional manifold from different temporal standpoints.
Transcripts
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