Dennis wrote:

I thought someone else would define determinism, but here goes "The thesis that there is exactly one physically possible future."

Since determinism is global, it's hard for me to pick out a good enough definition. So feel free to attack and refine this definition, then and only then can we get down to seeing what options we have at our disposal.


 

Good start. We perhaps could refine that definition by supplementing it with how the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines it. I would say this then:

"Determinism is the thesis there is only one possible future which is necessitated through the physical cause-and-effect of antecedent events and conditions that act in accordance with the laws of nature." 

Feel free to refine this further if you think it needs to be. Also, it would be helpful if we could put this more pithily while still retaining all the nuances of the definition. 

Last edited by RomanJoe (5/08/2017 5:25 pm)