about the causation-english-gustav theodor fechner

7/30/2019 About the Causation-English-Gustav Theodor Fechner.

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GT Fechner

About the causation

Public meeting in celebration of Leibnitz days of death

14th November 1849

Today we celebrate once again the memory of a man who was probably not as

accustomed and able to set general philosophical interests with the interests of

accurate research into new ways to connect and open up to the satisfaction of

both. This may justify or excuse, if I permit today and treat in this place a subject of

mine, who, precisely in the sense that common interest other than the special circle of

research, which our society has set, however, would reach from one side. It is the

question of a supreme law of the action in the realm of nature and spirit, herewith asupreme regulator of our conclusions in the areas of the entire experience, which I

take to deal with here, one question that their general aspects to in fact purely

philosophical nature, but also affects the interests of the exact researcher in deep

eingreifendster manner as that which everywhere seeks experiential laws, on the one

hand the question of a top general slightly from itself thrust upon, on the other hand,

varied and often reproachfully forced upon the question whether he not what happens

in everything and can happen at the same time comprehensive and binding legalism

too much studied, more than what he should be looking for and can not find. This

brings into question the freedom of self-play. But do not fear you, that I will developall the prolixity and difficulties discussed this so many times and never completed

object from here again before you. Plan to introduce such a place in the course of

exact research, it is rather an attempt to eliminate it, which I would venture to

perform here.

Restriction under the following considerations to the laws by which something is

really happening, as that may not always agree with those by which something should

happen to even various laws allow both the areas of mental than physical events

differ, in that, for example, the gravity, magnetic, electrical, chemical attraction, the

insistence, the coexistence of small oscillations, etc., in which the association of thehabituation, the combination of desire and impulse, etc. Many special laws may be

subordinate to a more general, so all special attraction laws the more general that the

masses aspire to in connecting them straight line sequentially move through, and all

the attraction and all repulsion laws at the same time the general laws of interaction

that the masses in the direction of the line joining them at all with the same motion

quantities their distance Change sought. The laws of the Association, so habituation

in intellectual areas are themselves already general laws, which subordinate special

laws for special conditions, and to subordinate themselves still more general laws of

mental action.Readily evident that the difference in the laws of the action as well with the diversity

of circumstances in which they apply, as with the diversity of achievements, which


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are determined by them related. The law of gravity is different from the cohesive law,

provided that himself, this refers to significant distances of the particles to contact

nearby; these are different circumstances with which associated a different success,

and the various law precisely defines the different according to the different

circumstances of success or relationship between the two. According to the laws in

the spiritual. General laws of the events are not only those which are formally a widerrange of laws, but also because this is associated with, those that understand real a

wider range of circumstances and successes among themselves, between which they

fix the relationship, and the question of whether there is a most general law of things,

would therefore be hereby by itself at the same time: there is a law that all kinds of

laws, and that all possible circumstances and all possible results which may occur in

the areas of events, among them concerned?

Now let's take on this question.

In any case, can such a law thinking, and indeed one which comprises the material

and the spiritual happening at the same time, yes, it can be just one thing as the

allgemeinst any Act thinking, namely this: that the same everywhere and at all times,

to the extent recur circumstances, also returns the same success, if not return the same

circumstances, also does not return the same success.

It is this fact which self-evident notion of a formally real and common law for the

action. Because if somewhere and sometime could be something else in the same

circumstances as the other time, just as would occur this case from the general

legality, which is required, out, and they really did not exist as such. But if the same

result could also have other reasons than once in the other, so stocks within this

possibility lawlessness in the opposite direction, one could determine more, which

would take place the various possible reasons for the given sequence by any law.

To leave no doubt about the meaning of the terms I understand once and for all may

all somehow provisions of specifiable material or spiritual existence in space and

time, only the absolute location in space and time in time can not be a circumstance a

determination of the existence be considered because it gets its certainty only by the

fact that exists. The use of the word circumstance appears useful in that in our laws

the nature of each event is related to the nature of that which it is standing around in

time and space, in relationship. Insofar circumstances carry a success in terms of ourlaw, we call them reasons of success.

Through its unrestricted general and conceptual self-evident, our law is in any case

highly suitable to assume a fundamental importance. Although one could also speak

of general laws of nature, which, though included everything that happens, but not

included in all relationships by still could freely within its general determination, the

choice between different possibilities of successes and reasons. That very reason,

however, would be less general and pervasive than the previous one, except the

handles of his community so special would miss more or less than is legally

indeterminate such a law. If but now hold some forced their liberty interest as toadmit such an indeterminacy of the supreme law as the child at least in some areas, it

will however be a function of the following yourself, to show that the most complete


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certainty in terms of our general law throughout can exist without entry for our

liberty interest by the bursts forth in this demanding to uncertainty about interest in a

different location or from a different side of the law all the more powerful.

One could raise the objection that our law is illusory from the outset, since for every

event but I'm actually the totality of the circumstances in time and space as a

conditioning one into consideration, therefore, of a repetition of the same reasons asin time and space of the action of the question could be. But then, could ever by any

laws of the events of the question, since such repetition of cases and their

circumstances requires. Law is what allows repeated use. At each of the events we

have laws supponieren therefore the possibility of further lying in space and time

reasons in favor of the immediate or to abstract the more, the further they

are. Whether this supposition real admissible coincides with the experiential our

probation law itself, which we'll talk right away, because only with reference to this

condition, the probation is possible and can have meaning. In the case of its cogency

but can then be under the guidance of our law itself, the success of pure imaginaryisolated circumstances are. We can not really cut off from the action of the rest of the

world body, but find out how they would actually behave Without this contribution

against each other, as we see what takes place, the more they grow apart two world

body.

But the mere conceivability of our law does not preclude its still a reality or real valid

unless the opposite is also possible. And in fact hinders nothing to think that the same

circumstances led to different times or in different places also have a different success

with it, the same success could also depend on various circumstances, for example,

that two world body of determined given mass and distance so as anzgen today andtomorrow, or here anzgen, pushed off to another part of the sky, that two people or

the same person may act in quite the same but different internal and external

conditions. Now that the conceivability neither chooses the reality here nor there, it is

important to look in the experience.

Now admit that quite pure experience can not be make, because after all relationship

still return success in any of these larger or smaller spatial or temporal perimeters just

not the same circumstances, but they return frequently approached again and leave in

the greatest variety of circumstances, always locate matching points, what can be also

the Matching consult the consequences. And so we can say that as far as theexperience allow to conclude, we can find just confirmed that general law. As

manifested in the area of physical, as far as we can see, the law of gravity always

reach the same circumstances in the same way here and in millions of miles from

here, now, how in the time of the observations in our. Likewise with every other law

of nature. While it may seem that, although the same arguments always follow the

same success, but success may depend on the same of Various kinds of reasons. A

string can be the same note, for example, it may be deleted, be beaten, plucked, ever

put on the various ways in vibration; always alone we will find again that these

various reasons but have something common, which shared the limited in success,and secondly, that we neglect the only dependent on the difference of the reasons

different side of success. As in our case, because the same sound entrained


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Community is the vibration of a string always stretched in the same way that the

various successes but what we neglect is the fact that a coated and a plucked string

perform their vibration but in very different ways and The Air trigger in different

ways. Not to be extensive, we consider this second side of the law at all in the future

only on special occasion, as the considerations that apply to the first page, always

easily expand it or leave and are transferred to appropriate facts for bids.Our most general law summarizes Organic and unorganized in the same way and

width, a factor which may contribute well to give his statement at the same time

safety and importance, since hereby the equally confusing as confused controversy to

what extent the laws of the inorganic transferred to the organic are the organic should

be considered according to the laws of the inorganic, clears the simplest way and, if

not done for the needs of the philosopher, but the exact researcher who requires a

guiding principle for his investigations. It is in fact just a special, though very general

case of our common law, which I utter in the set that as far as the organic same

circumstances recur than in the inorganic world, recur the same success as far as notthe same circumstances, not even the same success . But experience confirms this

statement, so far as it is always present, and hereby also our law itself through one of

its most general cases.

The eye is visually according to the laws of the camera obscura , because so far the

circumstances of its establishment, the one camera obscura is, the vocal organ's tones

according to the laws of the instruments and vibrating belts, because and insofar as

the circumstances of its creation are the same, the heart acts as a printing unit,

because and to the extent it is set up as such, the limbs act as levers and pendulums,

because and insofar as they are set up as such, and so in all cases. In contrast, theorganic body produces substances that can be produced in any retort, and no pot,

because the body is completely different set up than this; go in the nervous system

processes vonstatten how they go anywhere else, because nowhere else are there

equivalent means. Now is arguable whether such differences are due to the

establishment of an essential differences of the organic and inorganic world, or what

ultimate reasons they are themselves recyclable. But the exact researchers, as it may

very well take care of this dispute in the philosophical interest, but can do without the

hand of our law the consideration of this dispute in progress its research itself

completely. It must in any case consider the organic according to the rules validfound in inorganic nature and treat, if he finds appropriate, or according to rules that

have proven themselves in terms of our law, it recyclable circumstances therein, as

shown by the examples given himself, he must for new, not so sure reducible

circumstances as well seek new rules, as when he encounters new on Former non-

recyclable circumstances in inorganic nature itself, and then must also seek to unite

the new rules with the old as much as possible under general rules, no different than

he was already accustomed to do for themselves in the areas of the inorganic.

The differentiation of organic from the inorganic, the arrogance, if you will, of the

former over the latter, THEREFORE means nothing before the instance of ourcommon law, which takes away even more about this distinction, and rise above this

presumption. The character of the organic may require special success only in


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accordance with, as he also carries special circumstances or means to cause them, and

of course he does often and is even in his terms. But he does not in any relationship,

and if it does not, he may require any new successes against the inorganic. But the

other side of the matter is equally certain, as far as it is the case, it must also require

new episodes, and the exploration of new laws for these new circumstances is

therefore hereby not cut, but demanded. It really only applies these new laws againwith the new circumstances to relate, not, as so often, to keep with the general

concept of the organic, the question of this relationship for ever removed.

Maybe you try the naturalist to wither this guiding principle through the following

objection: it'll probably watch between organic and Unorganischem the equality of

material conditions, but in Organic being fueled by an ideational principle, call it you

call it soul, principle of life, purpose, principle, with , which is not included in the

observation of the scientist and yet the success of participating, in the circumstances

could be so organic and inorganic, probably appear the same externally, but not really

the same in regard to the zutretenden ideological factor. Allows the transfer of rulesfrom the inorganic to the organic to the observed apparent equality of the

circumstances in each case will be inadmissible. But experience of the

aforementioned kind show at any rate that, as things stood with the differences of the

ideal between the two areas, as far as the material circumstances are both the same,

the material success remain the same in both, so that those voraussetzliche difference

of between the two areas, the idealistic conclusions may change in anything that can

be drawn in regard to material success from the equality or inequality of material

circumstances. The reason that this behaves as can find a variety of philosophical

interpretation. One can, for example, set up the view that as far as the materialcircumstances coincide in both areas, the idealistic do it, but since you're a general

relation of the whole, the Organic and Inorganic together enclosing nature ideas and

the divine spirit recognizes, however, that as far as we are dealing with mere pursuit

of material success in the organic and inorganic areas could abstract from the

ideological factor in the same way, for it to pull in the subject of the ideal successes

in both considered.

So it really takes anywhere not into consideration the fact that a god reigns in nature,

if it is only to scientific pursuit of the material side of nature, regardless of one but its

existence as few will deny the existence of the soul in our body while you certainlycould not just abstract of God and our soul when it comes to pursuing the ideal side

of existence. This does not mean simply unrelated to put the spiritual to the material,

but remove the material as the outer expression of the spirit of another approach. One

may doubt whether this view is sufficient or completely feasible, it would be great

Equipping require and do not belong here, trying to justify them against all

objections, you may set any other view, however, but the exact researchers of nature

has this dispute is not to worry if it's just to do it to ensure the safe passage of his

research, the fact remains composed for him and asks him his point: if the organic to

the material circumstances, the same are the same or not, as in the inorganic world,are also the material successes the same or not the same rules and from one area to

the other transferable or non-transferable. Had this simple point always just held, it


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would have probably spared some unnecessary dispute in places where it does not

belong, and about things he should not touch.

The intellectual field anlangend, which never exists without tangible or physical

dowry, which therefore always requires Mitrcksicht, we find here that according as

the people in the way their existing mental constitution are more equal and similar

other circumstances, and their behavior is similar, so that at least in the experience isno reason to doubt that two internally, spiritually and physically, no matter

constituted people would always behave in quite the same external events are exactly

the same. What might find certain theories of freedom against this in some way but,

of course, appears set to object, not yet touched us here, where we only pay attention

to the experiential aspect. In contrast, one turns one, perhaps, that he was idle,

because an absolute equality of all internal and external circumstances for two people

it does not occur and the disputed nature of the case can not occur; equality always

takes place only after certain relationships. But there is more or less approximations

to this case, it is increasingly necessary to make him an ideal limiting case in mind,and that he never fully realized, even the basis of other considerations which we are

interested indeterministic freedom will be, not in spite of our law, but by virtue of the

same try to satisfy.

As regards the examples by which one seeks to justify the assumption of a half

sweeping legalism in the areas of action to meet the interest of freedom rather at the

expense of our law, they can look closer poorly serve this purpose. The bourgeois or

state laws eg rewrite the action of course, only in a general way and still be within

these general definiteness free a lot of ways of doing that they do not determine

between which they do not decide. Likewise, they say, it could with the laws of theevents ever be. But in fact it may not be so well because those laws of action only a

small part of the laws by which something is done and should be done form, the

action is not merely determined by civil laws, there are also moral, psychological and

laws of nature that will define it, yes determine much more than the middle, which

would not be followed without those. And so will apply in all cases, that where

certain laws in the areas of action can not succeed, other laws are there through which

you can view the certainty in terms of our general law as completed, which sense but

bemerktermaen still leaves something to be an uncertainty , which we'll talk soon.

We now make some general considerations to our law.

1) By the same a reference is set between what happens in all space and all time, we

can take as a reference identity. For example, when two celestial bodies millions of

miles from here, to dress according to the same laws as here, and the like after

millions of years, there is just something identical herewith between here and now

and those distant spaces and times. It is hereby some stuff, Eternal, Omnipresent,

Allwaltendes, Governing, acknowledged the world of nature and the mind-binding,

and the consideration of this already to some, eternal, omnipresent, all-ruling, ruling

on the side of mere nature can give us the existence a corresponding spiritual point,

namely insofar as we ever recognize in nature the expression of a spiritual Waltens

are inclined. It is clear the importance of this aspect can win as well as natural


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philosophy in a religious relationship, but is our pursuit of this aspect of no further ob

2) If various circumstances always depend on various successes, lies in this side of

our supreme law, the general principle for its particularity, and, if you statuiert forces

as mediators of success, at the same time the principle of particularization of the

forces, as that only through their law can be characterized. Indeed, since any

particular circumstance leads or complex of circumstances when repeating always thesame complex of particular success or success with it, one a special law and a

particular, this kind of success can set up for mediating force whatsoever. In such a

way to laws and forces can specialize to the smallest detail, and in fact has never been

a limit in this respect. But unless related to continuity or be subordinate general the

different specific circumstances, it is also true of the various laws and forces. Usually

we do not particularly distinguish only the most special laws and not sufficiently

familiar with the most common to speak of or to import it into consideration. We do

not distinguish, for example, the laws of attraction for each other and each other

spacing ratio of the masses, but they only consider united under the general law ofgravitation, we know the general laws do not sufficiently under which the phenomena

of light and magnetism combine, and therefore only consider these phenomena under

the laws that apply especially.

Of course, with this view, not uncommon notion does not exist, as if the various

forces independently existing, real segregated from each other beings who are able to

master the successes without being dominated by them self. Rather, as the

circumstances change under which the forces act, the forces change, not conceptual,

but in real terms by only understood always remain under the general law, which the

circumstances before and after the conversion, and hereby the conversion itselfcomprises. For example, gravity can transform through their own action in cohesion

by bringing the particles of appreciable distance to touch close, but summarizes a

more general law of gravitation and cohesion as special cases among themselves, by

determining all possible degrees of distance and proximity to the success , and

therefore also for the transition from significant distances in close contact.

If substances in the outside world still just the inorganic forces because inorganic

ratios were subject, to enter the organism, not a new alien force beings is it about that

the new successes that demonstrate to it, conditional, but the organic and Inorganic

arrangements are themselves both just special cases of the general kinds of materialarrangements, for which general laws must also apply where it is due, as the

symptoms change when substances from the one entering the other

arrangements. The formation of the crystal in the brine and the formation of the chick

in the egg go under the influence of very different forces vonstatten, but this does not

preclude that there is a law that determines how according to the different material

circumstances, which in the brine, and which prevail in the embryonated egg, the

physical education successes have come out differently in both, general law which

characterizes a general education physical force, of which the organic and inorganic

are only special cases.

In such a way that they fall all partitions that you wont put so much between different


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space and all time, for all matter and all spirit, but by its very nature an indeterminacy

still leaves something to be, even the largest, can be imagined. Because it probably

says that insofar return the same circumstances also must return the same success, if

not, do not, but there is nothing in his expression what the type of the first success

even at any of these places for any circumstances, nor the nature of the onset of first

certain circumstances themselves somehow. In this respect, it leaves everything free,and we thought ourselves a supreme being, the world according to our laws creating

and grading, it would at first then can create and arrange everything as it was, without

being bound by any something, yes it would find in the law initially no indication

what it could be based, and it would remain pure in its indeterminate will

rejected. Just what would set it once, would be binding for all subsequent. It would

create above all the laws of all things with freedom. Our primary law itself might be

thought of created freedom, because there is nothing in his terms, which guaranteed

us its reality. However, is not necessary to go back to the beginning of things to

provoke or to find now so much indeterminacy in the world compatible with ourlaws, as one may think necessary in the interest of freedom. In fact, the successes are

coming vorbedingt but only in accordance with the existing circumstances and be

predetermined, as these circumstances are even old reruns of circumstances according

to our law now. They are never complete. Every other room and every other time will

always anew new circumstances or new variations of the old circumstances with

them, including the always require new or modified new episodes, which by the laws

that are based on the previously seen before elsewhere and not predicted are expected

to be determined yet, or is it only as far as the Old or the New continues to receive,

but it never quite gets up continues. The world is changing from place to place and

evolving continuously in time. Consider, for example, only the formation of the earth

from its early days through the various creations of organic kingdoms of man and the

progressive development of man through. On this circumstance the indeterminist can

make his whole doctrine of freedom, without any reason to do durchgreifendsten the

lawfulness of nature and spirit demolition.

He can say, for example - I'll let him speak, without even so perfectly express my real

opinion: The people were first created by a divine act of freedom which, without

being sufficiently self-determined by previous, but now acts determining for all

subsequent . For since the creation of conditions of the people entered the first time, a

precedent for the development of the people from these new circumstances there was,

which only came with one of their creation. Under the same circumstances would

now again in the future people need arise, but the law is precisely to be set out in their

first creation and now exist as long as the world lasts. From all that had gone before

the first emergence of man can not be adequately explained as a necessary, nor was it

really necessary sooner, because with the new circumstances was really the only

reason the new action to a conditional manner by anything pre warning to the world.

Also, human freedom would be to take that. Any previous mental events has regular

giving for the later, and so the human character determines the course of life moreand more, if in some respects always return the old circumstances, but is in some

respects but the new always on the Old addition, the old circumstances never repeat


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themselves completely and ceases the freedom to still continue to determine one way

or another, never fully on. In the always new entrants are always new reasons

indeterministic freedom. The experience can be very well represented in this

way. The character of the people really taking shape with the time ever more and

stronger, as a result, and in accordance with his education and action;, you can

thereafter more or less calculate what he will in future act under occurringcircumstances, more or less the only reason because the future internal and external

circumstances, never the past are themselves always more or less very similar,

especially the internal circumstances are also often very little known to us. But what

can make a whole new inward or outward circumstances of man is never to be

calculated. Also, most of the followers of indeterministic freedom to fix a character

without giving up the freedom, yes freedom by itself, in a similar way as we here, if

not stated, but described. As each new person already has the whole previous history

of the development of mankind behind him, he is of course also subject to all their

already developed legalism, but he can always help yourself new moments to furtherdevelop them with freedom, which are decisive for the future. Also can view from

general point of view than the determination of the individual, not so much the

resolve of humanity already won again, as it retrain.

This approach also can hold any accurate research so far satisfied by the same

principle as the crash happens and you no new barriers are set by it. Because this is in

fact been always been its principle not to make rules before given, but to seek out the

given, and according as the world progresses and enter a whole new conditions, will

they also have to always seek new rules and the old always extend only way to

explain some of the new, as far as the Old yet received it.Meanwhile, the determinist can take the matter but also different. He can point out

that in any case, much of what we are inclined to name new circumstances, only one

such modification or combination of old circumstances is that the new successes

occur as special cases in already recovered old rules, let the success of an innovation

often calculated as a function of the general earlier gone before by a covered by old

laws or composition or proportionality. And the possibility thereof is itself subject

due to the generality of our law. Because virtue of the same will have to be

considered not only for the individual but also the generality of cases, and if a certain

space, a certain time, a certain control of the proportionality or composition provingto be valid, ask the full generality of the law, that they for all times and all rooms also

remain valid.

So our planetary system never returns to the subject of the arrangement of its masses

in eternity all the way into the Constitution back, which had in some moments, but

nevertheless, all motion is the same in eternity completely determined by rules which

are founded entirely on already existed before. Least, reduce all matters to which we

are here concerned with the success of sizes of dimensions, distances, speeds,

directions, to compositions and conditions of all of this, and how to put together the

causes, the consequences put together, the experience itself has proved that it is thecase, and has taught at the same time to know the rules to calculate the composition

of the causes of the composition of the consequences. For the purposes of the


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determinists, it is now located, what we remark the planetary system to generalize, to

say: All that we call new circumstances are such variations and compositions can be

calculated according to rules which, if not from the found already seen before, but it

is findable. From the beginning, all are given the basic conditions on which it

depends, and so given that no new determination in the course of time, you may not

see.It is not possible to decide this dispute experientially. Fact is that, for the determinist,

the recycling of the new laws is to old failed by far and neither view is that,

particularly in the areas of organic and spiritual, ever be able to fully succeed. Yes, it

has become even more recently shown a circumstance that further advances as per

this view. You probably thought otherwise, let it be everything in nature to

compositions of elemental forces between one and traced another particle, and with

the laws of these forces and their composition is the principle given to compute

everything that happens in nature. But it has been shown that this is not so (see W.

Weber in the treatises of Jablon. Society. P. 376) that in areas of the imponderable,which also intervenes everywhere but in the weighable, and especially in the organic,

and perhaps as a carrier of the spiritual has a particularly high importance, not merely

the particular success, but also the general law of success in the action of two

particles by entry of a third, then a fourth and so also is modified in a way to comply

with the must always be difficult, the more increases the involvement and the

connection to the whole, has an influence, which can not be calculated from the

composition of any details. Accordingly, it is also in the spiritual. The simplest laws

which apply to the simplest conditions, ranging nowhere, also to be covered by the

composition, which belongs to the involvement of these relations as a whole.On the other hand, is just as certain that nothing prevents, always, continue to

progress in the knowledge of the laws that apply to greater and greater complexities,

and that really continues gehends progress is being made in this respect to which the

determinist can invoke the it will be clear heavy that any law then or so would change

except conditionality with others through an act of free arbitrariness may arise. He

feels a need, a binding relationship with all laws equally, as all that is bound by the

law to assume.

To discuss and fight all the philosophical dispute between determinism and

indeterminism here is now avowedly not our intention. However, regardless of thepreviously led coalition, is our version of the object itself, a transmission route

between determinism and indeterminism, which seems suitable to me to battle, not to

decide but to settle, and I suppose this your attention even for a short time.

It is in fact grasped, also recognized in the newly discussions held, that increase

according as entangle the conditions or to a higher order, as is in accordance with the

progressive development of the world at large, the calculation of the success of these

intricate relationships more and more difficult, requiring an ever-increasing degree of

development of the mind, it may be, that it is always possible to be. And common

ground can no being calculated successes that arise for reasons that are complicated

or of a higher order than the internal conditions of the being itself, but only lower, we


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like this way relate to the spiritual or corporeal, which always goes together, since a

more highly developed spiritual always associated with a highly developed bodily. A

worm can never predict how a monkey, a monkey never how a man, a man never

how God will behave, except for relationships, for which they are the higher self

adequately, because unless inspection of each being related to its level of

development, it can not exploit the assets beyond this something only in a higherstage of development has space.

Thus, a person who is still on a low level of education can never calculate how he

will behave when he himself gets to a higher, except for relationships in which he

now agrees with the higher, the reverse is probably more likely that the person who

gets to higher education level, the motives of his actions on the previous lower

overlooked, even though it never completely. If now in fact the world is undergoing a

progressive development, can believe that there is an impossibility simply in the

nature of things, to calculate all the success in the world ahead, so far as the

calculation of what is covered in the later higher development, a would require aneven higher degree of development of nature already, which contradicts itself. So in

fact remain a indetermination for the realization of the future are at all time, but it

would be possible for the higher degree of knowledge gained to calculate the need for

more or less what happened earlier. Yes everything that happens with the feeling of

freedom in the world, possibly might just be such a thing was to completely predict

the nature of any existing beings by just so that only one such development actually

came into the world, which for the future the possibility of distant foresight related.

There can be no question that an indeterminacy really is on this principle in the

calculation of all finite beings, not merely an apparent, but a real, that is founded inthe nature of things and of knowledge, but you can, and perhaps rightly, doubt, if any

application thereof is to make the divine spirit and his foresight. If you think this

spirit is developing as a child's mind, which in its stupidity can not predict what it

will do as an adult? While there is concern us here to delve into issues that dissipate

from the area of knowledge in the faith, however, since humans everywhere must

seek meaning that does not understand the first principles of his knowledge with

those he hold the interest of his faith must come into contradiction, but appears to be

such a force upon right here, as a few words on this subject were included, with the

restriction and the support that befit the occasion.We must never forget that despite all similarities, we may have with God, but also a

huge difference to our side of the faith remains lie in the fact that he wears all the

causes of action in it from the beginning, we did not. We grow and develop in mind

and body under the influence of what comes to us from the outside, like kind of

development can not take place for God. We may therefore undoubtedly, if we want

to speak of such a the evolution of God, not as a foolish from the beginning child

think this is getting smarter by learning are increasingly aware of what is the whole of

God, a idea that would not be appropriate to the dignity of our views of God.But

there is another worthy idea to bids that corresponds to the facts, as far as we are ableto judge him according to the working of God, and yet again introduces another side

of the indeterminacy in the knowledge of the future that we in some way in the


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freedom of interest will always demand.

Imagine a poet before, conceived the idea of a poem, until only very generally. While

he initially all his spiritual power used in finding and order of the general principles

of the idea is impossible that it already can hover as well as the specificity of the

future version. Are general basics sorted right, so he goes to the special and growing

into something special, but by writing at any time all his spiritual power underdetention of the former general idea on the development of a certain new level of

features, it float future not yet available as well. He will never have foreseen the most

special thing he will take in the future in pursuit of the development of ideas. A

human poet indeed often has been digging into the individual before he probably

thinks with the general idea already to a single train, he will once attached in

execution and applies the idea afterwards. But this is not a train of perfection, but the

imperfection in the way of human development works. And so we can think that God

in this way its working out in the whole world, so that the world gear is just only the

external appearance of this divine thought process, for which one has alreadyexplained it to us so often because even. But then lay in the nature of things that, for

the prediction of each new development level no way in the nature of things

existed. If God thinks of it occurs already a and may be generated by the deepest

thinking of the wisest idea out, but it's just not possible therefore, that he, with all his

wisdom as it will result vorausshe because in the moments when he sees it for the

first time, it is also the first time there. It is no different with the creations of the

human inner poet, only that they do not have the same reality as the divine. Which

does not foresee God can predict, will be able to predict the less one of its finite

nature.According to this view, the deterministic view of the world now appears

indeterministic moved so close that you can be trying to find it both

reconciled. Because you can say: What anticipated by any being, by God not himself,

after no knowledge accessible rule, at the time of its creation can be derived from

nothing more than it can adequately is always as something in reality, was in itself

indeterminable, and if the Admission of everything like enters into relationship with a

sense of free will in man or God, the freedom of arbitrariness is a determined by

anything pre warning.

On the other hand, their deterministic viewpoint maintains this view but the fact thatit leaves open the possibility of the mind could the necessity of what he was looking

ahead calculate in any way as coming to learn about see in retrospect, having only to

greater insight or development is reached. But herein also can, indeed the determinist

must admit factual lying in the nature of things restrictions. A finite mind can by its

nature, never overlook the totality of the reasons for the totality of the consequences,

but pursue only more or less One in detail, the necessity of this and that for this and

that relationships among these and recognize those conditions, and first

indeterminacy remains even through our common law is always in the background

last.

Hereafter remain as the main difference of our, the deterministic and indeterministic


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viewpoint linking view of the ordinary indeterministic freedom view only remains

that it granted in our an indefinite and unlimited possibility is indeed asserted in

advance of our knowledge of the causes of what we arisen with respect freedom, and

everything that free will itself backwards always on, always special to track the

hidden motives into it that no boundary lies in the nature of things, but only the

boundlessness of the object itself, we get a barrier.If you say this and thus free will would still be something to be completely

deterministic, he could only wholly as a result as it is just arisen since the trackable to

indefinitely reasons thereof to be prosecuted, but also must be so because , so first

and foremost it would be questionable whether it is cogent to speak of a complete

determination, a Vorausbestimniung in itself, if it is for no finite nor infinite

knowledge, and secondly, whether, if the name of the determinism still here wanted

to apply carried forward view, not the bad sides that you complains to the usual

determinism are lifted, for the old name, it's not, before we have to fear, but the same

old thing: but this is not more here .

I believe in fact that the bad aspects of determinism disappear, and that the equally

bad sides that you can blame the one-sided determinism as well, both vanish, if one is

only here attempted mediation between the two with the view in relation that the law

of the divine world order as a whole was good, the evil which necessarily finite

determiniere itself through the consequences of evil here or there for good. And the

view of the world order speaks for such a supreme law of nature, the more so the

more we expand and deepen the same, although a depletion not possible for us as

finite beings in this respect. But further elaboration, is not the place.

The exact researchers might in any case, in this view, we give here the test price, find

the advantage that it, without actually indeterminable in what he can call his freedom

to abandon the belief in something, but no bounds on the put braces looks to trace the

motives of free action indefinitely, that he should never get in the furthest progress of

his research to encounter lawlessness, can never caused such presupposed, but the

further he researches, allowed the more hope to to deepen the knowledge of a

functional and well leading the whole Law all, only that as of infinite depth will

never be quite exhausting, so never quite exhausted themselves in knowledge and

action.

And so, after all, our supreme law is in no way may appear to conflict with the

interest of freedom, if it shows that it is just both a strictly indeterministic conception

of the concept of freedom, the same can serve as an exchange with the deterministic

view. If, therefore, the assumption of a half sweeping legalism in the areas of action

in that stated earlier, our laws contrary to the meaning in experience can be

completely refuted never, because the experience at all has barriers, it is but for what

we can learn unlikely , after what we must demand seem unnecessary.

To show this, was a major intention of this paper.

about the causation-english-gustav theodor fechner

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