Using both questions and reiteration, Stephen Hawking discusses the question of whether humans have free will or not. “Is Everything Determined?” both utilizes logical reasoning and builds upon theories previously stated in order to prove that nothing can be gained in discovering the fate of each individual human being.
Hawking’s ethos is built outside the essay by his reputation as one of the world’s leading physicist; his composition originally appeared in the book Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays. As such, his own essay was likely published for the audience of other scientists. It could also have been targeted for those persons religious and skeptic alike. His own position on God is never directly stated, although it could be inferred, instead favoring the phrase “may have” to maintain an unbiased perspective. “These laws may have been ordained by God,” (908). However, he states that his idea is fully opinion by stating, “What follows is my personal attempt to come to terms with these problems,” (909). …show more content…
Throughout his article is the deductive reasoning found mainly in the rhetorical appeal logos. He first questions, “How can a relatively simple and compact theory give rise to a universe that is as complex as the one we observe, with all its trivial and unimportant details?” (909). To answer this he relies on Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, which says that both the speed and position of a particle cannot be simultaneously known accurately. This is to say, it’s possible that different histories for the universe were created at the very beginning alongside our own. Hawking continues to ask further questions such as, “Why should anything we say have validity?” (910), and “If everything is determined, what becomes of free will and our responsibility for our actions?” (914). Each he answers in a technical way to work towards his
Hawking’s ethos is built outside the essay by his reputation as one of the world’s leading physicist; his composition originally appeared in the book Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays. As such, his own essay was likely published for the audience of other scientists. It could also have been targeted for those persons religious and skeptic alike. His own position on God is never directly stated, although it could be inferred, instead favoring the phrase “may have” to maintain an unbiased perspective. “These laws may have been ordained by God,” (908). However, he states that his idea is fully opinion by stating, “What follows is my personal attempt to come to terms with these problems,” (909). …show more content…
Throughout his article is the deductive reasoning found mainly in the rhetorical appeal logos. He first questions, “How can a relatively simple and compact theory give rise to a universe that is as complex as the one we observe, with all its trivial and unimportant details?” (909). To answer this he relies on Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, which says that both the speed and position of a particle cannot be simultaneously known accurately. This is to say, it’s possible that different histories for the universe were created at the very beginning alongside our own. Hawking continues to ask further questions such as, “Why should anything we say have validity?” (910), and “If everything is determined, what becomes of free will and our responsibility for our actions?” (914). Each he answers in a technical way to work towards his