Philosophical musings on Quanta & Qualia;  Materialism & Spiritualism; Science & Religion; Pragmatism & Idealism, etc.

   Post 111.  October 12, 2020 continued . . . .

  The Probability of God

   Symmetry of Good vs Evil

 One inherent problem with Bayesian probability is the necessity to assign numerical values to degrees of belief. This is where personal bias is most evident. Nevertheless, Unwin feels that his conservative approach should minimize any pro-or-con slant. So, in his “five-point Divine indicator scale”, he presents five levels of belief, from “much more likely to be produced if God exists” with 10 points, to “much more likely . . . If God does not exist”, worth 1/10th of a point. I would have expected that the bottom of the scale would register negative points, to offset the positive points above. He explains that “order-of-magnitude scales are commonly used in quantitative analysis”. Yet, he says that “in none of the evidentiary areas to be considered is my view so dogmatic and certain as to justify such large numerical differentials”. However, it’s odd that even the evidence against his postulate is given a positive value.

I won’t go through his belief scale point by point, but I will comment on The Recognition of Goodness. Unwin asks, “in a godless universe, would goodness have meaning?” He notes that his God’s infinite values would create an “asymmetry between good and evil” But I prefer to think that Good versus Evil in reality is a result of the dynamically balanced symmetry7 of dualism and relativity. In God’s infinite realm, all is One. But I imagine that, in the process of world-building, the initial Singularity split into two symmetrical parts, as in cell division. Hence one becomes two, and two eventually becomes a multitude. As those distinctions multiply though, opportunities for interaction increase. That leads to competition and conflict, often based on minor differences of charge, for example. This inherent duality is the basis of Thermodynamics, as Hot competes with Cold, and Energy is offset by Entropy.

However, once human minds are on the scene, distinctions between positive and negative change are now evaluated as Good or Evil, from the selfish perspective of the observer. As Darwin observed for organisms, any physical change may allow or deny further development (life or death). So, our world is inherently dualistic, but still remains close to a symmetrical balance8. Hence, not completely Good or Evil, but a dynamically balanced opposition. Therefore, human choices can swing the equilibrium one way or the other. Thus, allowing collective freedom of will to influence the course of history. This human-effect is exemplified in Hegel’s historical dialectic9. Therefore, the relative goodness of the universe is not simply due to a deterministic deity, but is also influenced by the push & pull of human wills.

Since the world seems to be inherently balanced between events that are good for humans, and those that are bad, we are fortunate that evolution has instilled in us, a moral sense, that can distinguish between the poles of Fortune. Unwin seems to attribute that human knowledge of Good & Evil to a trait of the supernatural soul, rather than an adaptive evolution-ary talent for seeking what’s in our own interest. Anyway, the evolutionary algorithm seems to be neutral or slightly favoring living organisms. So, natural processes, and compe-tition between organisms, can have positive or negative impacts on survival and reproduction. So all living entities are born with an urge to seek self-interest (good, attractive), and to avoid anything that may go against personal concerns (bad, harmful).

                   Post 111 continued . . . click Next

Evil vs Good

9. Hegelian Dialectic :
   The course of human history is determined by a delicate balance between positive progressive change, and negative conservative opposition. This conflict results in ups & downs, but the general trajectory of history continues to move forward, toward some unknown destiny.
http://blog-glossary.enformationism.info/page11.html

Hegel claimed that spirit was “at war with itself”—“it has to overcome itself as its most formidable obstacle.” . . .

Thus, each phase of the historical process could be said to contain the seeds of its own destruction and to “negate” itself; the consequence was the emergence of a fresh society,

The notion that history conforms to a “dialectical” pattern, according to which contradictions generated at one level are overcome or transcended at the next . . .

https://www.britannica.com/topic/philosophy-of-history/History-as-a-process-of-dialectical-change-Hegel-and-Marx

7- 8. Slight Asymmetry :
   Astrologers have found, in the cosmic microwave background, that the mass & energy of the universe is almost perfectly symmetrical in all directions. But there remains a slight asymmetry, an imbalance, which allows some room for positive change and progress.
   In Roman philosopher, Lucretius’, 50 BC hymn to materialism, he introduced the notion of “The Swerve”, a mysterious random force, akin to the modern concept of randomness, which slightly altered the deterministic straightline trajectories of atoms in the void, in order to break the deadlock of perfect symmetry. Thus, allowing novelty & change into an otherwise static world.
   Cosmologists have determined that the overall shape of the universe is almost, but not quite, Flat. Meaning that it is finite, but unbounded.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shape_of_the_universe
   “ It is shown that the Universe as a whole cannot possess perfect symmetry and that there was no cosmic symmetry breaking at cosmic phase transitions between cosmological eras. Cosmo-logical schemes that assume perfect symmetry for the Universe are meaningless,”
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00672858

The Probability of God
A Simple Calculation
That Proves the
Ultimate Truth

Steven D. Unwin
Physicist, Risk Management

“Since the existence of God is the ultimate uncertainty, and probabilistic analysis is the means of addressing uncertainties  . . .
The probability of God
begs to be computed ”