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Many commentators see downward causation as a
way to account for the manner in which God causes events in the world. This begins by recognizing the limitations that stem from seeing causation
occurring only at the micro-scale within a strictly reductionist
perspective of nature. While I agree a strict reductionism is hard to support
for all kinds of reasons, I follow Barbour in expressing reservations with
downward causation as an explanation for Divine agency.The trouble, as I see it, is examples of downward causation in nature have an
identifiable 'top', and the energy distribution that occurs during the event
being caused can be traced throughout the system. For example, in the case of a
piston heating a gas volume, the top is the piston (or the operator pushing it
depending on how the scenario is set up) and the effect is the increased
velocity of the gas molecules. In the case of the Universe, I'm not sure what
to call the 'top' from where the causal chain would begin.I also don't see a physical connection from a 'top' to all the places God might
act, along which we might observe energy redistribution.
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| Contributed by: Adrian
Wyard
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