Theological determinism Form of predeterminism Theological determinism is a form of predeterminism which states that all events that happen are pre-ordained, and/or predestined to happen, by one or more divine beings, or that they are destined to occur given the divine beings' omniscience. Theological determinism exists in a number of religions, including Jainism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is also supported by proponents of Classical pantheism such as the Stoics and Baruch Spinoza. Categorization of theological determinism[edit] Two forms of theological determinism exist, here referenced as strong and weak theological determinism.[1] There exist slight variations on the above categorization. Free will and theological determinism[edit] There are various implications for metaphysical libertarian free will as consequent of theological determinism and its philosophical interpretation. The basic argument for theological fatalism in the case of weak theological determinism is as follows; History[edit]
Technology and society Overview of the relationship between technology and society The simplest form of technology is the development and use of basic tools. The prehistoric discovery of how to control fire and the later Neolithic Revolution increased the available sources of food, and the invention of the wheel helped humans to travel in and control their environment. Developments in historic times have lessened physical barriers to communication and allowed humans to interact freely on a global scale, such as the printing press, telephone, and Internet. Philosophical debates have arisen over the use of technology, with disagreements over whether technology improves the human condition or worsens it. Pre-historical[edit] The importance of stone tools, circa 2.5 million years ago, is considered fundamental in the human development in the hunting hypothesis. Modern examples and effects[edit] Technology has taken a large role in society and day-to-day life. Technology has a serious effect on youth's health. Values
Deterministic system (philosophy) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Causality and Determinisim A deterministic system is a conceptual model of the philosophical doctrine of determinism applied to a system for understanding everything that has and will occur in the system, based on the physical outcomes of causality. In a deterministic system, every action, or cause, produces a reaction, or effect, and every reaction, in turn, becomes the cause of subsequent reactions. To understand this concept, start with a fairly small system. Small deterministic systems are easy to visualize, but are necessarily linked to the rest of reality by an initial cause and/or final effect. This example assumes that dominoes toppling into each other behave deterministically. Classical physics is the deterministic system assumed in the domino example which scientists can use to describe all events which take place on a scale larger than individual atoms. Events without natural causes cannot be part of a deterministic system.
Technological convergence Tendency for technologies to become more integrated over time Technological convergence is the tendency for technologies that were originally unrelated to become more closely integrated and even unified as they develop and advance. For example, watches, telephones, television, computers, and social media platforms began as separate and mostly unrelated technologies, but have converged in many ways into an interrelated telecommunication, media, and technology industry. Definitions[edit] "Convergence is a deep integration of knowledge, tools, and all relevant activities of human activity for a common goal, to allow society to answer new questions to change the respective physical or social ecosystem. Siddhartha Menon defines convergence as integration and digitalization. Acronyms[edit] Some acronyms for converging scientific or technological fields include: Digital convergence[edit] The above example highlights how digital convergence encompasses three phenomena: Cellphone convergence[edit]
Deterministic system System in which no randomness is involved in determining its future states In mathematics, computer science and physics, a deterministic system is a system in which no randomness is involved in the development of future states of the system.[1] A deterministic model will thus always produce the same output from a given starting condition or initial state.[2] In physics[edit] Physical laws that are described by differential equations represent deterministic systems, even though the state of the system at a given point in time may be difficult to describe explicitly. In quantum mechanics, the Schrödinger equation, which describes the continuous time evolution of a system's wave function, is deterministic. In mathematics[edit] The systems studied in chaos theory are deterministic. Markov chains and other random walks are not deterministic systems, because their development depends on random choices. In computer science[edit] Others[edit] See also[edit] References[edit]
Technocracy Technocracy is a term used to describe an organizational structure or system of governance where decision-makers are selected on the basis of technological knowledge. The concept of a technocracy remains mostly hypothetical. Technocrats, a term used frequently by journalists in the twenty-first century, can refer to individuals exercising governmental authority because of their knowledge.[1] Technocrat has come to mean either "a member of a powerful technical elite" or "someone who advocates the supremacy of technical experts".[2][3][4] Examples include scientists, engineers, and technologists who have special knowledge, expertise, or skills, and would compose the governing body, instead of people elected through political parties and businesspeople.[5] In a technocracy, decision makers would be selected based upon how knowledgeable and skillful they are in their field. Some uses of the word technocracy refer to a form of meritocracy, a system where the most qualified are in charge.
What Is Life? 1944 non-fiction science book written for the lay reader by physicist Erwin Schrödinger What Is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell is a 1944 science book written for the lay reader by physicist Erwin Schrödinger. The book was based on a course of public lectures delivered by Schrödinger in February 1943, under the auspices of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies where he was Director of Theoretical Physics, at Trinity College, Dublin. In the book, Schrödinger introduced the idea of an "aperiodic crystal" that contained genetic information in its configuration of covalent chemical bonds. Background[edit] Max Delbrück's thinking about the physical basis of life was an important influence on Schrödinger.[5] However, long before the publication of What is Life? Content[edit] In Chapter I, Schrödinger explains that most physical laws on a large scale are due to chaos on a small scale. In Chapter II and III, he summarizes what was known at the time about the hereditary mechanism.
Systems control Systems control, in a communications system, is the control and implementation of a set of functions that: Why there is anything at all Metaphysical question This question has been written about by philosophers since at least the ancient Parmenides (c. 515 BC)[1][2] "Why is there anything at all?" (or "why is there something rather than nothing?") is a question about the reason for basic existence which has been raised or commented on by a range of philosophers and physicists, including Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz,[3] Ludwig Wittgenstein,[4] and Martin Heidegger, the last of whom called it "the fundamental question of metaphysics".[5][6][7] The question is posed totally and comprehensively rather than concerning reasoning for the existence of anything specific, such as the universe or multiverse, the Big Bang, God, mathematical and physical laws, time or consciousness. On causation[edit] The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle argued that everything in the universe must have a cause, culminating in an ultimate uncaused cause. Arguments that there may be no need for causation[edit] Criticism of the question[edit] Physics[edit]
Technology assessment Research area dealing with trends in science and technology and related social developments Technology assessment (TA, German: Technikfolgenabschätzung, French: évaluation des choix scientifiques et technologiques) is a scientific, interactive, and communicative process that aims to contribute to the formation of public and political opinion on societal aspects of science and technology.[1] This is a means of assessing and rating the new technology from the time when it was first developed to the time when it is potentially accepted by the public and authorities for further use. In essence, TA could be defined as "a form of policy research that examines short- and long term consequences (for example, societal, economic, ethical, legal) of the application of technology."[2] General description[edit] Example of Assessment of ICT for Educational Assessment TA is the study and evaluation of new technologies. Comparing costs and benefit of each decision See also[edit] References[edit]
Somatocentrism Somatocentrism is a cultural value system in which biological determinism is the basis for social organization. The phenotypical variation of an individual in this system determines the individual's social identity and social relations, although it does not necessarily denote their social position. Definition[edit] The term ‘somatocentric’ is derived from “soma”, New Latin, meaning ‘body’and “centric” from the Greek “kentrikos”, meaning of the center. In this system, the physical body of an individual is heavily emphasized, and valued in determining the social identity of the individual. Perception[edit] Privileging sight over other senses facilitates a type of self-image that focus on the individual's body, as vision is the primary means to delineate phenotypical difference. Body Image[edit] Body Dysmorphic Disorder[edit] Height[edit] Studies show that in some cultures, people who are relatively taller than others get relatively better treatment by their peers. Racism[edit] Gender[edit]