So You Think There are Laws in Nature?
Philosophy Now|October/November 2021
Eleni Angelou eavesdrops on a conversation between a Believer and a Sceptic.
Eleni Angelou
So You Think There are Laws in Nature?

Two friends are debating whether there are laws in nature. Bob is a ‘Believer’; he sees regularities everywhere and supposes that some of them are good enough to be laws. Sue is a ‘Sceptic’; she feels that randomness prevails and the so-called ‘laws of nature are merely projections of our minds onto the world. Two worldviews oppose each other. Who will win?

Sue: Here we are, another Thursday, meeting up before a new movie starts. Who would have expected our friendship to last long enough to establish a movie habit together?

Bob: I know! Some things in life happen rather accidentally – like the meeting of two strangers who become involved enough to have their own little patterns in a relationship. Actually, I’ve been thinking about patterns and regularities a lot lately.

Sue: I’ll consider that another side-effect of studying philosophy. Do you want to share your thoughts while we’re waiting?

Bob: Sure. Well, look around you... Open a history book if you need to. Study some physics. Maybe even some economics. Observe your daily routines or the routines of your roommate. There are patterns everywhere. If it weren’t for patterns, repeated behaviors, or regularities, life would be much more confusing and difficult, because it’d be even more unpredictable than it already is.

Sue: Wouldn’t that be interesting to see, though?

Esta historia es de la edición October/November 2021 de Philosophy Now.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición October/November 2021 de Philosophy Now.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE PHILOSOPHY NOWVer todo
The Two Dennises
Philosophy Now

The Two Dennises

Hannah Mortimer observes a close encounter of the same kind.

time-read
3 minutos  |
June/July 2024
Heraclitus (c.500 BC)
Philosophy Now

Heraclitus (c.500 BC)

Harry Keith lets flow a stream of ideas about permanence and change.

time-read
6 minutos  |
June/July 2024
Does the Cosmos Have a Purpose?
Philosophy Now

Does the Cosmos Have a Purpose?

Raymond Tallis argues intently against universal intention.

time-read
7 minutos  |
June/July 2024
Is Driving Fossil-Fuelled Cars Immoral?
Philosophy Now

Is Driving Fossil-Fuelled Cars Immoral?

Rufus Duits asks when we can justify driving our carbon contributors.

time-read
10+ minutos  |
June/July 2024
Abelard & Carneades Yes & No
Philosophy Now

Abelard & Carneades Yes & No

Frank Breslin says 'yes and no' to presenting both sides of an argument.

time-read
6 minutos  |
June/July 2024
Frankl & Sartre in Search of Meaning
Philosophy Now

Frankl & Sartre in Search of Meaning

Georgia Arkell compares logotherapy and atheistic existentialism.

time-read
7 minutos  |
June/July 2024
Luce Irigaray
Philosophy Now

Luce Irigaray

Luce Irigaray, now ninety-two years old, was, among many other things, one of the most impactful feminists of the 1970s liberation movements - before she was marginalised, then ostracised, from the francophone intellectual sphere.

time-read
10+ minutos  |
June/July 2024
Significance
Philosophy Now

Significance

Ruben David Azevedo tells us why, in a limitless universe, we’re not insignificant.

time-read
6 minutos  |
June/July 2024
The Present Is Not All There Is To Happiness
Philosophy Now

The Present Is Not All There Is To Happiness

Rob Glacier says don’t just live in the now.

time-read
10+ minutos  |
June/July 2024
Philosophers Exploring The Good Life
Philosophy Now

Philosophers Exploring The Good Life

Jim Mepham quests with philosophers to discover what makes a life good.

time-read
7 minutos  |
June/July 2024