indetermináció

Indetermináció refers to the philosophical concept that certain events or outcomes are not fully determined by prior causes. This contrasts with determinism, which posits that every event is necessitated by antecedent causes and conditions together with the laws of nature. In essence, indeterminism suggests that even with complete knowledge of the past and the relevant laws, the future may still hold multiple possibilities, and the actual future is not uniquely fixed.

A prominent area where indeterminism is discussed is in quantum mechanics. The probabilistic nature of quantum events, such as the decay of a radioactive atom or the position of an electron, is often interpreted as evidence for indeterminism at the fundamental level of reality. This means that the outcome of a quantum measurement cannot be predicted with certainty, even in principle.

The implications of indeterminism are far-reaching, particularly concerning free will and moral responsibility. If our actions are not predetermined, it opens up the possibility for genuine agency and choice. Conversely, a strictly deterministic universe might raise questions about whether our sense of freedom is an illusion. Various philosophical positions exist, including hard determinism (determinism is true and incompatible with free will), libertarianism (indeterminism is true and compatible with free will), and compatibilism (determinism is true but compatible with free will). The debate over indeterminism continues to be a central topic in metaphysics and the philosophy of science.