ForumsWEPRIs Determinism Underrated?

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FishPreferred
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FishPreferred
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Duke

@aknerd made a thread on this topic some years ago, but it didn't receive much attention; possibly because I wasn't around to contradict everything. I've decided to correct this unfortunate state of affairs.

Causality and determinism have been subjected to a great deal of misconception and semantic confusion, so I will begin by making a few clarifications:
1 Determinism ≠ Fatalism. It does not mean that the same particular result will always occur regardless of whatever actions are taken to avoid it.
2 Determinism ≠ Predestination. It does not mean that every occurrence is decided upon and brought about by some conscious entity.
3 Free Will ≠ Freedom of Choice. Its absence does not mean that all decisions are made under force or duress, or that decisions are independent of preference, planning, insight, or past experience.
4 Probability ≠ Chance. It does not mean that different results can arise from the same causative event.
5 Determinism and Indeterminism are mutually exclusive. Randomness of any kind cannot exist on any level in a deterministic system.
6 Please also note that any time I use the term "determinism" I am referring specifically to causal determinism, and that the terms "random" and "stochastic" are used interchangeably.

As a determinist, I regard everything to be the necessary result of measureable and exact physical processes. This makes sense to me, but many people find fault with it. Can anyone give me their view on this?

THE POINT OF THIS THREAD:
I want to know what other people think of determinism/causality/randomness/etc. and why they think whatever they think, because I'm not sure I understand their views. I am not trying to prove determinism. I am not suggesting that we should all become determinists.

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