On Zeroth Cause and Postfinal Effect

          On Zeroth Cause and Postfinal Effect

           And some Trilemmas

 

          Define the First Cause as the cause of all causes. The Paradox of the First Cause is; what caused the first cause? If there be any such cause, then let us call it a zeroth cause. Is there a zeroth cause?  There are three possibilities. 

One is “the Line”: there is no first cause, but instead an endless backwards sequence of causation.  This is a theory of infinitely deep causation.

Another is “the Ray”: there is a first cause but no zeroth cause; so the first cause is uncaused. This is a theory of chaotic causation.

And a third is “the Loop”: there is a first cause and a zeroth cause; and these cause each other. This is a theory of circular causation.

          #1, the Line, corresponds to chaos theory, with infinite fractal complexity.

          #2 , the Ray, corresponds to quantum theory, with intrinsic random chance.

          #3 , the Loop, corresponds to Gödelian metamath, with self-referential paradox.

          Chaos, quantum and metamath; these are the 20^th century’s three-fold retort to determinism. In the Why game (see previous essay) the Line corresponds to “I don’t know”, the Ray corresponds to “shut up”, and the Loop corresponds to “because”.

 

          Of the three:      

In two of the three (Line and Ray), causation does not loop;

In two of the three (Ray and Loop), causation has finite depth;

In two of the three (Loop and Line), causation is recursive;

So by 2/3 majorities: causation is linear; causation is finite; causation is recursive; yet it cannot be all three at once! This is a voter’s paradox, which I dub the Causation Trilemma:

Causation is one-way, cause has a beginning, everything has a cause; choose two!

 

Dual to the First Cause is the Final Effect; the effect of all causes. Does the Final Effect have any effect? Either there is no Final Effect, or the Final Effect  is ineffectual, or there is a Postfinal Effect. This translates, as before, into three possibilities: Line, Ray and Loop. In the Line, effect is linear, recursive and infinite; there is no final effect. In the Ray, effect is linear, nonrecursive, and finite; the final effect is ineffectual. In the Loop, effect is circular, recursive and finite; postfinal and final effects effectuate each other.

As before there is a voter’s paradox, the Effectuation Trilemma. Of  Line, Ray and Loop, by 2/3 majority each: effect is linear; effect is finite; effect is recursive: but effect is never all three.

Effectuation is one-way, effect has an end, everything has an effect; choose two!