Essay 222
Essay 222
Essay 222
La Reina Reyna
Stacey Burleson
PHIL 1311
11/9/2023
Causation and determinism are foundational concepts that have played a prominent role
in the realm of philosophy, science, and the understanding of the natural world for centuries and
will continue on until the end of time. These concepts dive deeper into the intricate workings of
cause and effect, exploring the fundamental questions of whether events are governed by
deterministic laws or if they occur only by chance. Causation, at its core, deals with the
relationship between events, where one event brings about another as its consequence.
Determinism, on the other hand, is the notion that every event, including human actions, is
predetermined and inevitable, given the conditions that precede it. Both causation and
determinism have been subjects of intense debate and scrutiny among scholars, with implications
spanning multiple disciplines, from philosophy and physics to ethics and social sciences.
In this essay, we will explore causation and determinism. We'll look at where these ideas
come from, how they're seen today, and what they mean for our understanding of the world.
We'll learn about what famous philosophers like Aristotle and Hume said about causation and
how scientists like Laplace and modern physicists have dealt with these ideas. We'll also talk
about how determinism can make us question our free will and moral responsibility. By the end
of this essay, we hope you'll have a better understanding of causation and determinism, and how
Reyna 2
these ideas still matter in our world today. They're not just old ideas; they keep shaping how we
Causation and determinism have deep roots in the history of human thought, with their
influence extending across various intellectual traditions. The ancient Greeks, for instance,
grappled with these concepts, as evidenced by Aristotle's notion of the four causes. According to
Aristotle, events could be explained by four types of causes: the material cause, the formal cause,
the efficient cause, and the final cause. This framework aimed to provide a comprehensive
Causation and determinism have deep roots in the history of human thought, with their
influence extending across various intellectual traditions. The ancient Greeks, for instance,
grappled with these concepts, as evidenced by Aristotle's notion of the four causes. According to
Aristotle, events could be explained by four types of causes: the material cause, the formal cause,
the efficient cause, and the final cause. This framework aimed to provide a comprehensive
Moving forward in time, the empiricist philosopher David Hume challenged traditional
views on causation. Hume argued that causation is not a necessary connection between events
but rather a habit of the mind, based on repeated observations of one event following another.
This skepticism about causation laid the groundwork for a more nuanced and probabilistic
understanding.
classical mechanics, envisioned a deterministic universe where the future state of the world could
Reyna 3
be predicted if one knew the precise conditions of the present. Laplace's demon, a hypothetical
intellect with complete knowledge of the positions and velocities of every particle in the
However, the advent of quantum mechanics in the early 20th century introduced a
Heisenberg, posits that certain pairs of properties, such as position and momentum, cannot be
precisely simultaneously known. This inherent uncertainty at the quantum level raises questions
Modern physics, with its blend of quantum mechanics and classical physics, has led to a
more probabilistic understanding of the universe. This probabilistic nature does not necessarily
negate causation but adds an element of unpredictability at the quantum level, challenging the
The interplay between causation and determinism also extends into the realm of
philosophy of mind. The question of free will and moral responsibility becomes particularly
predetermined, it raises questions about the existence of genuine freedom and the basis for moral
judgments.
clear that causation and determinism remain vital to our understanding of the world. They shape
our perspectives on reality, influencing scientific inquiry, ethical considerations, and even
continue to provoke contemplation and drive our quest for a deeper comprehension of the