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Does chaos theory square classical physics with human agency?
Can a butterfly’s wings trigger a distant hurricane? The answer depends on the perspective you take: physics or human agency
If the pebble’s movement is slightly altered by external factors like wind, hitting a patch of highly dense soil or a large rock, its speed could increase dramatically, ultimately stopping in an unexpected location 5,000 mm away from where it landed in the first drop. The true source of unpredictability stems from its extreme sensitivity to initial conditions: how forcefully the ball is dropped, the speed at which the wheel spins, subtle vibrations from environmental factors like an air conditioner, and even the movement of patrons around the table. Yet, there is a line in the philosophy of causation, traceable through thinkers like R G Collingwood, Nancy Cartwright, Huw Price and James Woodward, which posits that we must locate the notion of cause in human practice by focusing on things like manipulation and control.
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