Is Destiny a Matter of Chance or Choice?
The scientists, like Isaac Newton, believed that there was a universal law and everything was ordered in line with this universal law. Since everything in an order, the future can be predicted because it was already arranged by the universal law. This is also called destiny or fate and it means that people believe their role in this world is given and they cannot change it. However, people’s life is not destined by a universal law or by God. With the new discoveries in science, it has been claimed that 18th century scientists were wrong in their view on universal law. The chaotic scientists of the 20th century claimed that the chaotic system is random and not related with destiny because any change in the initial condition will affect the behaviour of the system. In this respect, this essay will firstly explain different views on universe; secondly it will demonstrate that is not a destiny that elucidates events of our life but choices and chance.
When Isaac Newton discovered the law of the gravitation in the 18th century, he realized that there was a force that was responsible for this, and for the other movements in the universe, like the force that holds the moon in her orbit. ( Newton, Determinism and Chaos, pg 1) In this regard it was then considered that there were fixed physical laws which allow the future to be predicted. In his article “Law and Disorder” R.C.L state that the 18th century scientists viewed the universe as a “gigantic clock” where everything happens according to certain laws so that prediction of the future of any object or system is possible. As stated in the article: “ … if you only knew all of the initial conditions and how the clock worked you could predict what would happen at any point in time”.(Law and Disorder, R.C.L, p 2). They also believed that after God created the universe, God did not interfere with laws. The outcome of this belief is the development of new beliefs excluding God such as, nihilism,
When Isaac Newton discovered the law of the gravitation in the 18th century, he realized that there was a force that was responsible for this, and for the other movements in the universe, like the force that holds the moon in her orbit. ( Newton, Determinism and Chaos, pg 1) In this regard it was then considered that there were fixed physical laws which allow the future to be predicted. In his article “Law and Disorder” R.C.L state that the 18th century scientists viewed the universe as a “gigantic clock” where everything happens according to certain laws so that prediction of the future of any object or system is possible. As stated in the article: “ … if you only knew all of the initial conditions and how the clock worked you could predict what would happen at any point in time”.(Law and Disorder, R.C.L, p 2). They also believed that after God created the universe, God did not interfere with laws. The outcome of this belief is the development of new beliefs excluding God such as, nihilism,
Cited: Newton, Determinism and Chaos www.skidmore.edu/academics/theater/productions/arcadia/newton.html Law and Disorder www.lawsofwisdom.com/lawsofwisdom/chapter6.html Is destiny a matter of choice or a matter of chance? www.boloji.com/perspective/080.htm