Abstract

In the first part of the present essay, I outline the main ways in which Quantum physics and Chaos theory have contributed to establishing incompatibilist freedom. I conclude that although such scientific advances have indeed taken a necessary first step away from a causally deterministic worldview, philosophers have yet to successfully establish incompatibilist freedom. In the second part, I turn from the problem of causal determinism to that of theological determinism. I suggest that in this field, Chaos theory can be surprisingly helpful in dismantling the deterministic worldview by forming an alternative understanding of the relationship between God’s knowledge and incompatibilist freedom. I conclude that Chaos theory is certainly the path by which we may hope to advance in the problem of theological determinism, and that such success gives us renewed hope that recent scientific discoveries can advance philosophical discussion in the free will debate