Axiom of Causality
Encyclopedia
The Axiom of Causality is the proposition
that everything in the universe has a cause and is thus an effect of that cause. This means that if a given event occurs, then this is the result of a previous, related event. If an object is in a certain state, then it is in that state as a result of another object interacting with it previously. For example, if a baseball is moving through the air, it must be moving this way because of a previous interaction with another object, such as being hit by a baseball bat.
An epistemological axiom
is a self-evident truth. Thus the "Axiom of Causality" implicitly claims to be a universal rule that is so obvious that it does not need to be proved to be accepted. Even among epistemologists, the existence of such a rule is controversial. See the full article on Epistemology.
appears to violate the Axiom because elementary particles exhibit behavior without any observable external cause, and no internal mechanisms have yet been observed within them.
The baseball flies through the air because the bat imparted kinetic energy
to the ball. An object cannot accelerate without being imparted energy from another object, but if so then according to the laws of thermodynamics
, it must be consuming its own stored energy through an internal mechanism. Magnets may appear to violate this because they seem to cause acceleration without depleting an energy reservoir. Magnets store energy in the form of a magnetic field
, but this energy does not appear to deplete no matter how much energy it transfers to external objects. But magnets do follow the laws of thermodynamics, because the potential energy of the structure of objects within magnetic fields is irretrievably converted to kinetic energy during attraction. Furthermore, creating magnets (magnetizing ferro-magnetic materials) requires energy.
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Proposition
In logic and philosophy, the term proposition refers to either the "content" or "meaning" of a meaningful declarative sentence or the pattern of symbols, marks, or sounds that make up a meaningful declarative sentence...
that everything in the universe has a cause and is thus an effect of that cause. This means that if a given event occurs, then this is the result of a previous, related event. If an object is in a certain state, then it is in that state as a result of another object interacting with it previously. For example, if a baseball is moving through the air, it must be moving this way because of a previous interaction with another object, such as being hit by a baseball bat.
An epistemological axiom
Axiom
In traditional logic, an axiom or postulate is a proposition that is not proven or demonstrated but considered either to be self-evident or to define and delimit the realm of analysis. In other words, an axiom is a logical statement that is assumed to be true...
is a self-evident truth. Thus the "Axiom of Causality" implicitly claims to be a universal rule that is so obvious that it does not need to be proved to be accepted. Even among epistemologists, the existence of such a rule is controversial. See the full article on Epistemology.
Spontaneity
One implication of the Axiom is that if a phenomenon appears to occur without any observable external cause, there must be an internal force or mechanism causing the phenomenon. Quantum mechanicsQuantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
appears to violate the Axiom because elementary particles exhibit behavior without any observable external cause, and no internal mechanisms have yet been observed within them.
Variation
Another implication of the Axiom is that all variation in the universe is a result of the logical and continual application of the physical laws. Specifically, all effects in the universe are the logical result of the transfer of energy from one form to another, from one place to another, and the outcome is dictated by the rules of the universe.The baseball flies through the air because the bat imparted kinetic energy
Kinetic energy
The kinetic energy of an object is the energy which it possesses due to its motion.It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes...
to the ball. An object cannot accelerate without being imparted energy from another object, but if so then according to the laws of thermodynamics
Laws of thermodynamics
The four laws of thermodynamics summarize its most important facts. They define fundamental physical quantities, such as temperature, energy, and entropy, in order to describe thermodynamic systems. They also describe the transfer of energy as heat and work in thermodynamic processes...
, it must be consuming its own stored energy through an internal mechanism. Magnets may appear to violate this because they seem to cause acceleration without depleting an energy reservoir. Magnets store energy in the form of a magnetic field
Magnetic field
A magnetic field is a mathematical description of the magnetic influence of electric currents and magnetic materials. The magnetic field at any given point is specified by both a direction and a magnitude ; as such it is a vector field.Technically, a magnetic field is a pseudo vector;...
, but this energy does not appear to deplete no matter how much energy it transfers to external objects. But magnets do follow the laws of thermodynamics, because the potential energy of the structure of objects within magnetic fields is irretrievably converted to kinetic energy during attraction. Furthermore, creating magnets (magnetizing ferro-magnetic materials) requires energy.
Determinism
If all causes have effects, and all effects logically follow the rules of the universe, then all events follow a theoretically predictable pattern, thus all future events have already been determined by past events. See the full article on DeterminismDeterminism
Determinism is the general philosophical thesis that states that for everything that happens there are conditions such that, given them, nothing else could happen. There are many versions of this thesis. Each of them rests upon various alleged connections, and interdependencies of things and...
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First Cause
If all effects are the result of previous causes, forming a logical chain of events, then the cause of a given effect must itself be the effect of a previous cause, which itself is the effect of a previous cause, and so on. Therefore we could at least conceive of a situation where one could trace each cause to the one before it. One possibility is that this process would go on forever, with each event being the result of a previous event. This runs contrary the human intuition that everything has a beginning and an end. Another possibility is that the process would trace back finally to a first cause, or simultaneous group of first causes. See the full article on CosmogonyCosmogony
Cosmogony, or cosmogeny, is any scientific theory concerning the coming into existence or origin of the universe, or about how reality came to be. The word comes from the Greek κοσμογονία , from κόσμος "cosmos, the world", and the root of γίνομαι / γέγονα "to be born, come about"...
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