CHANCE AND CAUSALITY

-


CHANCE AND CAUSALITY

Man has always made efforts to acquire knowledge in science and nature. We seek a cause, a reason that will explain why things happen the way they do and are the way they are. Also, why things are formed the way they are.  It is our desire in this paper to consider the causes in nature and the concept of chance and their relationship with science.
            A cause simply means ‘that which produces an effect; a person or thing that makes something happen. Again, it may mean ‘the reason for something; a factor that justifies something; an aim, a principle or a movement that is strongly defended or supported. Cause is necessary in nature because the three principles of nature are not sufficient for generation
According to Kenny, science is a technical term for knowledge of a determined subject, an attribute which is the property of that subject and the cause of that attribute. It is the knowledge of universal fact through the proper causes. Such scientific knowledge according to Aristotle is attained through inquiry into objects that have principles, conditions or elements. Science is demonstrative because it is knowledge of the fact with proper and justifiable reason for the fact. To gain this knowledge, a thorough analysis of this knowledge gained through experience and research is made to its simplest form.
Aristotle identified four senses in which the term cause can be used. In one sense, it is that from which, as a constituent, something is generated; for example, the wood is the cause of the table, and the glass the cause of the mirror. In another sense, cause would mean the form or pattern, this being the formula of the essence and also the genera of this; for example, in the case of the octave, the ratio 2:1, and, in general, a number and the parts in the formula. In another sense, it means that from which change or coming to rest first begins; for example, the carpenter is the cause of the chair, the father is the cause of the baby, and in general, that which is acted upon, that which brings a change is the cause of that which is being changed. Finally, it can mean the end, and this is the final cause (that for the sake of which); for example, walking is for the sake of health.
On the issue of chance, some argue that there is nothing like chance but attribute everything to predetermined causes; others say everything happens by chance while others added that chance is by divine reason i.e. divine providence. But for Aristotle, chance is anything exceptional to the rule. Things in nature are regular acting in the same way unless impeded, but chance is unintended, unforeseen and exceptional. Chance is defined as the accidental cause of exceptional or unintended results of choice or nature acting for another purpose. It is called fortune or luck when it concerns human beings and can be reduced to efficient cause. Some things around us are natural, others are artificial otherwise they are designated by chance. Impediment of nature results to chance. Aristotle’s view on chance is that once you hold that everything is by chance, there cannot be science.
REFERENCES
1.       R. P. Hardie & R. K. Gaye, Aristotle’s physics.
2.       Hippocrtaes G. Apostle and Lloyd P. Gerson, Aristotle Selected Works, Ginnell, Iowa: The Peripatetic Press 1982.
3.       Joseph Kenny, Philosophy of Nature.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SUMMARY OF PROVIDENTISSIMUS DEUS, ENCYCLICAL LETTER OF POPE LEO XIII ON THE STUDY OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE.

-
SUMMARY OF PROVIDENTISSIMUS DEUS, ENCYCLICAL LETTER OF POPE LEO XIII ON THE STUDY OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE.      God has elevated man, freed him of guilt and ruin, restored him to his initial dignity and has made known to him the mystery of his divinity.      He revealed himself through the inspiration of the holyspirit to man. This supernatural revelation, the church believe, is contained in both written tradition and written books which is called sacred and canonical. God himself is the author of the sacred book, he composed the book; the words of the book are his words.      Priests are encouraged to read this sacred book, meditate over it, ponder on it and explain it to the people. The apostolic office also enjoins them to help in making this sacred book reach the Christians and also to defend it against the attack of the heretics.      The holy spirit himself testifies that all the scripture i...
Read more

summary and appraisal of chapters one, two and three of the book The African Origin of Greek Philosophy: An Exercise in Afrocentrism, by Innocent C. Onyewuenyi.

-
Introduction Can Africans philosophize? Is there such a thing as African philosophy? What contribution has Africans made on the world’s civilization and on the discipline of philosophy? These and a plethora of questions are seeking answers in today’s modern world. Africa is being conceived by the world as savages, primitive, her people as those that reside in the Dark Continent who are intellectually inferior. Thus, Africans have not contributed anything to the discipline of philosophy. Hence, this work by Innocent Onyewuenyi aims at answering these questions and at reinstating the truth that philosophy has its origin in the Egyptian Mystery System. In view of this, it is our aim in this paper to summarize and appraise chapters one, two and three of the book The African Origin of Greek Philosophy: An Exercise in Afrocentrism, by Innocent C. Onyewuenyi. To achieve this, we shall begin with a summary of the three chapters followed by an appraisal. Furthermore, we shall present ...
Read more

THE LAST THREE WAYS TO PROVES GOD'S EXISTENCE BY THOMAS AQUINAS

-
THE LAST THREE WAYS TO PROVES GOD'S EXISTENCE BY THOMAS AQUINAS FROM POSSIBILITY AND NECESSITY ITS ARGUEMENT In nature, we find things that are possible to be and not to be, that come from being and go out of being as contingent beings. Imagine every being is a contingent being, for each contingent being, there come a time it is not in existence, which makes it impossible for these to always be in existence. There could have been a time when nothing existed. At that time there would have been nothing to bring the currently existing contingent beings into existence. So therefore, nothing would be in existence now. We have reached a common sense result from assuming that every being is a contingent being. It implies that not every being is a contingent being, some being exists of its own necessity, and does not receive its existence from another being but rather causes them. This people term it as Supreme Being, God. ARGUMENT FROM DESIGN       ...
Read more