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informationphilosopher.com/value/good and and Good Great Problems in and Physics - Solved? Physics and Philosophy in Problems Great 90 Chapter 6 Good andEvilGood of most Dualisms. the adividethen between and Material, the foundation the rather than by eye. the by “the Good,” it by is seen mind, the inGreek, nous the Visible, meaning that it is “seen” by mind the (510E). Illuminated of Intelligiblehalf line divided the is usually called as opposed to visiblethe world is illuminated by Sun. the (metaphorically) illuminated by “the Good”(τον ἀγαθὸν), just as ligible world (that Kant calls Immanuel phenomenal ) would the Kant call Sun for with , . good growththeir and nurture. Many primitive the identify ibility of but objects, the generates also and them is source the of ings, for example). The said,Sun, he not only providesthevis - and images the we make of (inour them minds and inour draw- (dianoia “Formthe followed of Good, the by (noesis theories what a“divided hedescribes called line,” at top the of is which Forms. At VIof end the ofRepublic the Book firstwho the defined notion of abstract of in Theory Ideas his information as basis for the thought, for mind, for , and is consonant with information philosophy’s on focus immaterial side spaceand and time providing shape the of material things same source. in Greek for “to have seen.” The word “” comesfrom the or The formword (εἶδος). from derives idea pasttheparticiple using it somewhat interchangeably with Greek the word for shape 1 The division of ’sbetween Line Visible and Intelligible is Plato’s adivision is Line also Mind between and Body. The upper visible this Beyond world, later which philosophers (especially Plato visible the world describes of perceived physical objects Thebegan withabstract philosophical Plato Good Idea the of In many ways, Plato’s of immaterial theory forms existing out See chapterSee 3for many the names of fundamental this dualism. ), techniques (pistis 1 Plato may have coined word the “idea” (ἰδέα), ), and stories (eikasia) noumenal ). The intelligible world is (509D-513E),Plato world, liesan intel- Good/Evil ), hypotheses (νοῦς), (νοῦς), - , 91

Chapter 6 - - information. And it shows how how shows it And information. Great Problems in Philosophy and Physics - Solved? Physics and Philosophy in Problems Great Nevertheless, however imperfect it may be, information, or or be, information, may it imperfect however Nevertheless, - respon moral But question. a scientific is example, will, for Free - situ It Idealism. of a kind to a return is philosophy Information as such structure the Good embodied information in an Now decide can monotonic single no that plain is it But Information (Negative Entropy) as Objective Good? Entropy) (Negative Information - objective, an provides entropy, negative generally more which without comparisons, value for point starting independent, - the indi to relative and subjective hopelessly are all preferences matter of Factsthe be. should it as is This the society. to or vidual cul- be to are ought be or should What science. for questions are persons. society individual or for question tural Never society. for question conventional and a cultural is sibility theless, those answering the conventional questions of right and and right of questions the conventional thosetheless, answering of implications entropic and the informational consult can wrong choices. different information structures in the real in thereal structures information of elements the abstractable for the at stands Matter and between distinction Form Plato’s world. Material and between dualism Idealism the great beginning of ism. which Ideas, of realm the Good of the in the Platonic Idea ates immaterial as recognize now we and matter of in the world force causal have ideas can immaterial others. among the mind/body problem, solving energy, including situation a complex thing, or thing, a living a material be the calculated quantitative as in can things, many equally is it Perhaps contains. it that entropy negative of amount destructive its measuring seeeasy to the by Bad something in only whose weapon, of the Thinkevil in a thermonuclear force. population. its and a city destroy use to is - con deeply are values since things, two between the goodness of in economics theorem Arrow’s Kenneth Indeed, dependent. text to be A can preferred strictly transitive. not are values that shows A. to be C can preferred yet C, and to B preferred B, 92 Chapter 6 sible entropy and entropy actual the is potential information. increase inentropy. The difference the between maximum pos- mum possible entropy is increasing much faster than actual the rium faster than entropic processes can approach it. The maxi- of expansion that is moving away from thermodynamic equilib- There is “nothingthe under sun.”new mation that remains today, view, in their has always here. been that any organization or order is susceptible to decay. The infor high ofin a very information, since second the law requires down” to a“heat death.”that think They meansthe universe began and philosophers to assume that universe the we have is “running information structures, of pockets negative entropy or cosmos. tant places where entropy the is reduced locally, leaving behind disorder and chaos, is unstoppable. Fortunately, there are impor fluctuationsthe entropy. in and quantum mechanics by Albert Einstein with his analysis of Boltzmann with his Law, of gases theory by Ludwig thekinetic confirmed in has been tive terms, is not but Cosmos the Chaos. the of dualistic the forces at work universe, in the at least in quantita- tion of Information or Negative Entropy -means that greater the of Evil as creation the of Entropy or Disorder - that- is, destruc the Evil (negativeenergy entropy) inthat thing. thing correlates strongly with amount the of or free available forgood greatest the number.” The measure of some inutility - But universe the is not system. aclosed It is inadynamic state The established fact of increasing entropy many led scientists As universe the evolves, increase the total inthe entropy, the The unavoidableLawSecond of Thermodynamics,the Entropy It to but observation note is asad that necessary our definition Consider , hopes which to achieve “greatest the H-Theorem, and in statistical mechanics Good/Evil - - 93

Chapter 6 Great Problems in Philosophy and Physics - Solved? Physics and Philosophy in Problems Great As the universe expands, both positive and negative entropy entropy negative and both positive expands, the universe As Positive and negative entropy flows to the . flows entropy negative and 6-2. Positive Figure It is a necessary evil that creation of negative entropy (the Good) entropy negative of a necessary is creation evil that It Photons from the sun are our major source of negative entropy. negative of source major our are the sun from 6-1. Photons Figure information structures means that in parts of the uni- in parts of that means structures information of Creation are generated. The normal thermodynamic entropy, known as the known entropy, normal thermodynamic The generated. are entropy, negative The arrow. darker the larger is Entropy, Boltzmann of information the measure is a Entropy, calledShannon often the universe. in the evolving content is always accompanied by radiation of an even larger amount of of amount larger even an of radiation by accompanied always is the local distant to from structures (the Bad) away entropy positive away and sky the night goes to it Ultimately, the universe. parts of - cosmic micro distant the most to universe transparent our through background. wave verse the local entropy is actually going down. Our Sun-Earth down. actually going is thelocal verse entropy negative of the flow depends All on place. such one is system us. Earth, told Schrödinger to Ernst as Sun from entropy 94 Chapter 6 A Statistical Comparison Norms withSocietal to make value comparisons impossible when are involved.. extreme of regarding eachlife as of infinite that regards life as an ultimate but good, it not does go the of information. increaseminimizes the indisorder, that destruction minimizesthe When confronted with amoral desicion, alternative the take that information, least the increase inentropy and disorder. most the information,serve or to produce of least the destruction by traditional the panel and found those by second the panel to pre- asignificantbe statistical correlation deemed good those between namics were asked to consider same the list of choices, there would judges consisted- of inchemical thermody scientists with expertise moral choices. citewho ancient religious would judge doctrines, alarge number of rangeing afull of traditional sources from humanists to theists what information the So does cases. ofall value amount theory to? others. No single monotonic criterion of in value can possibly serve actionmay judged insomeparticular be circumstances, good in evil of right and wrong, is agreat problem society. inpost-modern Any “man is measure the of things.” all The relativism evil, andof good Since living things are rich in information, coincides this with a moral the advice fromSo information philosophy simple. is very An information-based claims ethics that ifasecond panel of It is aclaim about how an independent panel of , includ- The pre-Socratic philosopher Protagoras famously said that worth, is which designed Good/Evil 95

Chapter 6