> Randy: A process which could produce any one of a thousand outcomes only
> produces one. That outcome does in fact occur but to specify it in
> advance would be very difficult. It seems to me that this is the
> sense in which Joseph's critique is valid.
>
> Indeed, but why presume that the outcome had to be specified in advance.
It seems to me that it's the nature of probability to deal with
prediction of future events and not the observation of already occurred
events. No one is interested in hearing weathermen discuss the probability
of today's weather occuring, they know that probability is one. They're
interested in the probability of tomorrow's weather being a certain way.
In the same say the chance of drawing a certain card from a standard deck,
predicted before the card is drawn, is 1 in 52. The probability of drawing
a particular card, after you've actually drawn it, is 1 in 1. I don't see
what conclusion is established by observing the outcome of a trial, after
the trial is concluded, and then discussing the probability the outcome
had before the trial was run.
I was given some references by Brian Harper to check regarding these
issues so I'll be doing some reading which may shed some light on my
thinking in these areas.
Pim:Let's assume that by chance the universe arose with physical
constants allowing oxygen breathing carbon life forms to evolve. We are now here and marvel at how well our life form "fits" in the range of
physical constants found in nature. A miracle ? Or an inescapable results ?
A miracle? Not given the parameters of your question. Miracles, as
defined in Scripture, have a definite purpose and therefore a "chance"
event could not be a miracle.
An inescapable result? My suspicion is that the answer would also be no
in this case. To say that an event happened by chance seems to imply that
the result could have been other than it in fact was. But this does raise
an interesting question. Could the physical constants of our universe have
been other than they are? What factors determine these constants? Are
there events associated with the Big Bang that were indeterminate that
could give rise to various values for these constants? Or were these
constant-forming events determinate? Or are these physical constants not
determined by any events that occured during the Big Bang? Are they
determined by something more basic? But what would be more basic than the
laws of the universe? Does science have answers to these questions?( I
really don't know)