Given the current confusion of values, it would be convenient to return to nature to find possible grounds on which to build a system of common and universal values that can harmonize the various conflicting and contradictory views today. This book analyzes several classic controversies such as the conflict between materialism and idealism, the debate about the origin and evolution of life and the universe, the controversy between determinism and freedom, and the problem between the individual and the totality. As conclusion, a number of general principles of nature are enumerated, which are very useful to harmonize the different scientific, philosophical and religious traditions.

1. The Principles of Nature
and its ethical implications

2. 1. Historical deterministic and
indeterminist visions
2. The deterministic and indeterministic
character of the process of evolution of
the universe
3. The Logos as a cosmic project, which
preconfigures all beings and things,
and as an inherent self-organizing vital
force with own autonomy and
creativity that directs the evolution of
the universe
CHAPTER 4 INDETERMINISM AND DETERMINISM: FREEDOM AND LAWS
4. Logos as rational capacity
or reason (indeterministic)
and law (deterministic)
5. Complementarity of
intentional laws
(teleological) and
mechanical laws in nature
6. Freedom and necessity
(laws)
7. Principle of indeterminacy

3. A very common objection to the idea that
there is a cosmic design or project in nature is
this: if nature was designed by a supposedly
omniscient and perfect divine intelligence, all
things of nature should be perfect or work
without any fault.
Everything would be planned or
predetermined down to the smallest detail, as
if it were a perfect machine.
However, nature is full of accidents and
catastrophes, such as star explosions,
meteorites, earthquakes, floods, diseases,
organ atrophy or degenerative processes.
Furthermore, in a world where
everything was prearranged and
planned there would be no place for
something new to emerge, there
would be no innovation, no creativity,
no autonomy, no freedom.
However, the existence of a prior
design does not necessarily imply that
everything has to be predetermined
to the smallest detail or that there can
be no margin for autonomy or
creativity.
INTRODUCTION

4. The Stoics were, with their concepts of Logos
and Providence, the first who developed a
markedly deterministic system, according to
which everything in nature necessarily happened
due to a concatenation of previous causes.The
Logos or the laws of nature acted inexorably both
in the natural world and in the human world.
This stoic vision together with the belief in an
omniscient and omnipotent God, who can predict
exactly what will happen in the future, had a
considerable influence on the deterministic
character of the mechanistic view, which was the
hegemonic scientific paradigm until the end of
the XIX century.
HISTORICAL DETERMINISTIC AND INDETERMINIST VISIONS

5. Laplace's famous divine calculator that could accurately
predict the future was the image of an ideal mathematical
physicist, the substitute of the omniscient God.Within this
strongly deterministic view, chance was considered as a
secondary phenomenon that could ultimately be reducible
to mathematical calculations.
However, given the inability of mechanicism to explain
processes of change such as geological formations, and the
procreation and growth of living beings, the geological
model gradually became more important.This model
explained the formation of mountains, rocks and lands
through fortuitous and accidental processes, such as
eruption of volcanoes, magma, folds and subsidence,
floods, rains, erosion, transport and sediment of materials.
The geological model, based on chance accidents —contrary
to the mechanistic model— has an indeterminist character.
The divine calculator of Laplace

6. The process of evolution of the universe is similar to the process of
seed growing into a tree
A pine seed necessarily becomes an adult pine.
The general direction of the process and the goal, a
generic adult pine, is well defined. However, the
final shape of the trunk, branches and roots of the
pine are not preset in advance.
In it will influence the inherent autonomy and
creativity of the plant itself, which includes the
ability to adapt to the environment and even to
modify it intentionally.
Its branches will be directed upwards looking for
the sun and its roots down looking for water and a
fertile soil, sometimes even breaking down rocks to
have access to them.
In addition, in the form of its cup and branches will
influence factors such as wind direction and climatic
conditions of the area in which it is located, and also
accidents that may occur during its growth stage that
twist or mutilate its trunk or branches.

7. In the evolution of the universe you can
notice a well-defined and constant direction,
which indicates the existence of a previous
general plan or project, which does not have
to determine the process and the final result
to the smallest detail.
So, in spite of having a clear direction, the
process would not be totally predetermined
either by the previous plan nor by the
inherent laws or mechanisms. It would be an
autonomous and creative process, as well as
necessary.
Organisms and systems may have the
ability to choose certain possibilities and
exclude others, or even to produce
innovations.Also the process would be
subject to environmental circumstances and
accidents by chance.
I believe that a view of these
characteristics would be a more coherent
and complete explanation than the theory of
pure chance that miraculously creates highly
sophisticated and deterministic
mechanisms.
THE DETERMINISTIC AND INDETERMINISTIC CHARACTER OF THE
PROCESS OF EVOLUTION OF THE UNIVERSE

8. The Logos as a cosmic project, which preconfigures all beings and things, and as an
inherent self-organizing vital force with own autonomy and creativity that directs the
evolution of the universe
Therefore, to assume that the process of
evolution was guided by a Logos, plan, project
or prior design does not necessarily imply that
evolution has to be predestined or
predetermined to the smallest details.
Since that supposed Logos or previous
project could very well be a general plan that
preconfigures or predisposes —not
predetermines— all beings and things, and
then, these beings and things, in an
autonomous and creative way, would develop
their potential until acquiring a definitive form
or structure.
The Logos would also be like a self-
organizing vital force that would operate
with a wide margin of autonomy or ability to
self-regulate and adapt to the circumstances,
and even with creativity or capacity to
modify the original designs to adapt them to
the environment.
Accordingly, the final result is not
absolutely predetermined but the realization
of a possibility between a wide range of
diverse possibilities that could exist within
the same previous general plan.

9. Because the Logos was the fruit of a mental process
of design similar to a human mental process, involving
intentional and mechanical elements, it is reasonable
to think that the Logos was also, on the one hand, a
force with a rational, intentional, autonomous,
creative and therefore indeterministic character, and,
on the other hand, a force with a legal, mechanical,
necessary and deterministic character.
Every intention, plan, purpose or end
requires an instrumental means to carry
it out, which implies mechanisms
necessarily controlled by deterministic
laws.
And any machine or mechanism that
works according to laws implies the
existence of a previous design, purpose
or intention. So these concepts actually
refer to two complementary processes
that always appear united at all levels of
reality.
This agrees with the double meaning of rational
capacity (Reason) and law that had the classic concept of
Logos. In fact, the concept of rational capacity, which
includes intentionality, purpose, autonomy, choice,
freedom, creativity and indeterminism, is not opposed
or incompatible with the concept of law or legality,
which includes regularity, rules, principles, laws,
mechanisms, necessity and determinism.
LOGOS AS RATIONAL CAPACITY OR REASON (INDETERMINISTIC) AND LAW (DETERMINISTIC)

10. Logos as rational capacity (indeterministic) and law (deterministic)
Design, Purpose,
Autonomy
Creativity
Indeterminism
Mechanisms
Legality
Necessity
Determinism
Rational capacity
(Reason)
Intentionality, autonomy,
creativity, indeterminism
Law
Mechanisms, legality,
necessity, determinism
ADN
Intentional process
Rational capacity
Intellect, emotion, will,
ends, autonomy, creativity
Mechanical process
Information, data,
numbers, formulas, rules,
laws, principles
Mental process Logos Universe

11. Sung Hun Lee sums up very well in the following quote from UnificationThought this
dual character of intentionality and mechanism, both of the Logos and of the universe.
«Since all things were created by Logos
(reason-law), all created beings contain
elements of reason and law.
Accordingly, while all things exist and
perform movements, these two elements
work together.Yet, the lower the level of
the created being, the more predominantly
does the element of law operate; the
higher the level of the created being, the
more predominantly do we find the
element of reason operating.
In minerals, which are the lowest
level of created beings, it seems that
only the element of law operates,
and in human beings, who are the
highest level of created beings, it
seems to be only the rational
element operating.
In reality, however, law and reason
operate in tandem in both cases.»
Sung Hun Lee, New Essentials of Unification
Thought, UTI, Korea, 2006, p. 29.
Logos as rational capacity (indeterministic) and law (deterministic)

12. Complementarity of intentional laws (teleological) and mechanical
laws in nature
Kant, in his Critique of
Judgment, stressed the need
and convenience of
complementing and uniting
intentional (teleological) and
mechanical explanations to
better understand nature.
«For there, where one thinks of ends as the foundation of the
possibility of certain things, we must also admit means, whose
law to proceed does not need at all something that
presupposes an end, and therefore can be mechanical, and,
however, a subordinate cause of intentional effects.
That is why, in the organic products of nature, but even more
so if, on the occasion of the infinite multitude of them, we also
admit the intentional in the connection of natural causes
according to particular laws (at least in a permitted hypothesis)
as universal principle of the Reflective Judgment for the whole
of nature (the world), a great and even universal union of
mechanical and teleological laws can be thought of in the
productions of nature.»
Kant, Crítica del juicio, Espasa Calpe, Madrid, 1995, p. 397.

13. Rational Capacity
Intentionality, Freedom
Autonomy and Creativity
Laws
Mechanisms
Rational Capacity
Intentionality
Autonomy and Creativity
Laws
Mechanisms
Rational Capacity
Intentionality
Autonomy and Creativity
Laws
Mechanisms
Autorregula-ción
(razón)
Laws
Mechanisms
Self-Regulation
Human beings
Animals
Vegetables
Minerals
RATIONAL CAPACITY LAWS
INTENTIONALITY MECHANISMS
AUTONOMY AND CREATIVITY
INDETERMINISM DETERMINISM
Staggered distribution of rational capacity, intentionality, autonomy and
creativity (indeterminism) and mechanisms governed by laws (determinism) in
the different levels of reality
LOGOS

14. Staggered distribution of rational capacity (indeterminism) and
law (determinism) in the different levels of reality
The Logos or general cosmic project
would encompass a series of particular
logos or energy fields corresponding to
each of the emerging levels of reality,
like those Russian dolls that contain
within them a series of smaller and
smaller dolls.
In the first place, there would be the
fields of self-awareness in the human
realm, which would gradually
encompass the biological life fields of
higher and lower animals, plants and
single-celled organisms, to the physical
quantum fields.
During the process of evolution of the
universe, these particular logos or fields were
materialized in an inverse way in the different
levels of reality.
First, the physical fields —whose particular
logos have a minimum of rational capacity
and a maximum of law— formed the mineral
world of particles, atoms and molecules
governed by laws.
Then, on the basis of the mineral world, the
biological life fields were forming living beings
in a gradual and stepped way, with the upper
levels leaning on the lower

15. Staggered distribution of rational capacity (indeterminism) and
law (determinism) in the different levels of reality
The biological fields of life —with
elements of increasing rational capacity as
well as legal and mechanical elements—
were forming living beings with the
capacity to perform mental processes
progressively more intentional.
Until we reach the human beings, who
are the beings with greater rational
capacity, which allows them to process
information in a more complex way and to
have more autonomy and creativity than
the rest of living beings, despite being
also at the same time mechanisms
governed by laws.
As we can see intentionality, autonomy
and creativity and mechanisms governed by
laws are two complementary aspects
inherent to all levels of nature that always go
together, just as the mental and material
aspects are complementary and inseparable
from each other.
The only distinction is a difference of
degree or proportion, since at the lower levels
there are more legal and mechanical
elements than intentional, and in the higher
levels predominates the intentionality,
autonomy and creativity over the mechanical
aspects.

16. Freedom and Necessity (Laws)
Thus, all these concepts that
have always been considered
incompatible or contradictory to
each other as intentionality and
laws, purpose and mechanism,
autonomy and heteronomy,
freedom and necessity,
indeterminism and determinism,
are in reality complementary and
inseparable,As Sung Hun Lee
explains very well in the following
quotation:
«Thus, freedom and necessity, purposefulness and
mechanicalness operate in an integrated fashion in the
existence and movement of all things.
In other words, freedom functions in connection with
necessity, and purposefulness operates together with
mechanicalness.
Until now, the relationship between freedom and
necessity has often been understood as one of antinomy:
freedom and necessity were regarded as opposite concepts
in the same way that liberty and restraint might be
understood to be in tension.
In UnificationThought, however, reason and law in Logos
are seen not as being in a relationship of antinomy, but of
unity.»
Sung Hun Lee, New Essentials of UnificationThought, UTI, Korea, 2006,
pag. 29.

17. Let's take a simple example.A car is a
mechanism that works according to some
mechanical laws, but at the same time has some
room for maneuver.
If by using a car we intend to drive on a ridge,
or force it to go faster than it can, it is obvious
that the car will break down and stop working.
Put another way, the mechanisms and laws of
the car are precisely the ones that make it
possible for us to enjoy the freedom to drive the
car to our desired destination, as long as we
respect the mechanical laws and adjust to the
allowed margins of maneuver.
Similarly, freedom means simply having a
margin of maneuver or choice between a
limited number of possibilities, but always
within a mechanism subject to laws.
In other words, having freedom means
that we have a certain autonomy or ability to
self-regulate in order to be able to adapt to
the environment by choosing from a wide
range of possibilities. Likewise, having
creativity means having a capacity to modify
or manipulate the environment to adapt it to
our purposes and needs. But our autonomy
and creativity always operates within the
natural laws.
The law is that which allows autonomy or freedom, which means having a
margin of maneuver or choice within a legal framework

18. Both our autonomy and our creativity are not
unlimited but are framed within a legal
framework.
This autonomy and creativity is not exclusive
to human beings, but all living beings enjoy
them to a greater or lesser degree.The
difference is that the range of autonomy and
creativity of the human being is the most wide
and extensive.
This also has ethical consequences. For, just
as there are some physical laws to which we
have to conform, there is also a correlation of
these natural laws in the form of moral laws to
which we should adjust our behavior.
Autonomy or freedom is not unlimited but is framed within a legal and
moral framework

19. The moral laws
If we do not respect the moral laws there will be
a short circuit or deterioration in that flow of
giving and receiving causing pain or unhappiness.
The fact that we can violate them, that is, that we
can lie, cheat or mistreat others does not mean
that we are completely autonomous with respect
to them.
The proof is that we always suffer the bad
consequences caused by that violation.The
problem is that the damage or harm is not as
immediate or visible as when a natural law is
violated. So due to immaturity or ignorance, they
are not respected in order to obtain an immediate
satisfaction or benefit without taking into account
the long-term bad consequences.
Moral laws are like the natural laws that
regulate human relationships, and which, as
Kant said, are inherent in human nature.
Just as traffic rules regulate road traffic,
moral norms regulate the flow or circuit of
giving and receiving in reciprocal exchange
relationships of affection, love, knowledge,
goods and services among human beings.
Respect for the moral law does not restrict
freedom, but on the contrary, it is what
guarantees that this circuit of mutual giving
and receiving flows freely and increases
continuously, resulting in greater shared
happiness.

20. Principle of the fundamental indeterminacy of nature,
based on the universal presence in all entities —to a
greater or lesser degree according to their level— of a
certain margin of autonomy and creativity derived from
their degree of intentional mental processes, in coexistence
and complementarity with deterministic mechanisms
governed by laws and random indeterminist mechanisms.
PRINCIPLE OF INDETERMINACY