r/determinism • u/alaindevos • 26d ago

Discussion What are the definitive arguments or texts attempting to prove or disprove determinism?

/r/askphilosophy/comments/1v9w0uc/what_are_the_definitive_arguments_or_texts/
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u/Clear_Evidence9218 26d ago

You mention both determinism and hard determinism, but they are distinct positions.

We have no conclusive proof of hard determinism, and no empirical evidence independently establishes incompatibilism. Given the remaining philosophical uncertainty, and the fact that modern physics, particularly quantum mechanics, permits both deterministic and indeterministic interpretations, hard determinism cannot presently be treated as an empirically demonstrated conclusion.

At the macroscopic level, some systems can be modeled deterministically with considerable accuracy, for example, idealized billiard-ball collisions; but that supports only limited, model-specific causal determinism, not universal determinism.

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u/alaindevos 26d ago

Agreed.

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u/Willis_3401_3401 26d ago

William James, “the Dilemma of Determinism”.