Page 1 of 1

Physical causal closure

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:25 am
by daraghaznavi
There is a prevalent assumption among thinkers that the physical universe is causally closed. That generally means that every observed physical phenomenon could be explained by laws of physics. How does idealism fit with this notion? Does idealism predict that laws of physics are broken in the brain?

Re: Physical causal closure

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:54 pm
by Ben Iscatus
Some thoughts, Dara:
Under Analytic Idealism, you could translate your question:
physical universe = thoughts of the transpersonal mind;
laws of physics = archetypes of the transpersonal mind;
brain = appearance of a localised mind when viewed from across a dissociated boundary.

I think you are suggesting with "broken laws" that there ought to be free will to change the archetypes of mind and thus defeat causal closure. But there is no space between random and determined. When we feel free, our actions are determined by our own natures, as opposed to our acting in a random manner or being subject to control by someone else. Our own natures are determined by the same archetypes of mind as determine the unfolding of the universe (varying from alter to alter based on individual experience and perspective).