Maximum Entropy and the Bible
WARNING - This is tough mathematical/physics topic.
The idea behind maximum entropy is fairly simple -- don't make assumptions, any assumptions, about data that you don't have. For instance, if you flip a coin three times, and get three heads in a row, what can you say about the fairness of the coin? You clearly can't say that it is a two headed coin, because that would be an assumption about the next several flips. Now if you get 100 heads in a row, you have a lot more information, and you might be ready to take that leap.
On to the Bible. Let's take the story of Adam and Eve. Bible critics are quick to point out that based on our knowledge of genetics, there could not have been only one man and one woman, therefore, the Bible cannot be without error. But where in the Bible does it say that God only created one man and one woman? You see, if you are going to take the Bible literally (which, by the way, I don't think it should be, but more on this tomorrow), you have to recognize that the Bible doesn't tell you everything that happened. If you make assumptions about occurrences not related, you will get different interpretations, which will most likely be incorrect (entropy again).
For the curious, entropy is a measure of disorder. I have a few children whose rooms have lot's of entropy! If you make assumptions about information you don't have, you limit the amount of alternative occurrences outside the related story, and thus have a lower information entropy (a more ordered story) than one with the uncertainty. Detective stories take extreme advantage of this principle, as the detective usually keeps an open mind about facts he/she hasn't got evidence for.
The idea behind maximum entropy is fairly simple -- don't make assumptions, any assumptions, about data that you don't have. For instance, if you flip a coin three times, and get three heads in a row, what can you say about the fairness of the coin? You clearly can't say that it is a two headed coin, because that would be an assumption about the next several flips. Now if you get 100 heads in a row, you have a lot more information, and you might be ready to take that leap.
On to the Bible. Let's take the story of Adam and Eve. Bible critics are quick to point out that based on our knowledge of genetics, there could not have been only one man and one woman, therefore, the Bible cannot be without error. But where in the Bible does it say that God only created one man and one woman? You see, if you are going to take the Bible literally (which, by the way, I don't think it should be, but more on this tomorrow), you have to recognize that the Bible doesn't tell you everything that happened. If you make assumptions about occurrences not related, you will get different interpretations, which will most likely be incorrect (entropy again).
For the curious, entropy is a measure of disorder. I have a few children whose rooms have lot's of entropy! If you make assumptions about information you don't have, you limit the amount of alternative occurrences outside the related story, and thus have a lower information entropy (a more ordered story) than one with the uncertainty. Detective stories take extreme advantage of this principle, as the detective usually keeps an open mind about facts he/she hasn't got evidence for.
posted by Phil Shea | 9:38 PM
4 Comments:
How about this quote?
Pope Pius XII stated: "When, however, there is question of another conjectural opinion, namely polygenism, the children of the Church by no means enjoy such liberty. For the faithful cannot embrace that opinion which maintains either that after Adam there existed on this earth true men who did not take their origin through natural generation from him as from the first parents of all, or that Adam represents a certain number of first parents. Now, it is in no way apparent how such an opinion can be reconciled that which the sources of revealed truth and the documents of the teaching authority of the Church proposed with regard to original sin which proceeds from a sin actually committed by an individual Adam in which through generation is passed onto all and is in everyone as his own" (Humani Generis 37).
http://www.catholic.com/library/Adam_Eve_and_Evolution.asp
I do not know if the difficluty can by resolved in the way you offer. God bless
I love your connection between entropy and Biblical studies. However, I question your application of it to Adam and Eve. As Cure of ars pointed out, the Church (guided by the Holy Spirit) does teach that Adam and Eve were the parents of all human beings. I have a huge problem accusing the Church of being myopic. I think the principle of entropy can be applied to the genetic argument, though! We really don't know what genetic laws were in play way back then. In fact, recent DNA studies have strongly indicated that all mitochondrial DNA can be traced back to a single mother. Scientists have fittingly dubbed that mother "Eve."
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OH! The reason I like your application of entropy to Biblical studies is that it recalls that we need to read all scripture in the context of all scripture and sacred tradition as a whole, rather than isolating one text and trying to interpret its meaning.
However, I need to put some more thought into whether or not entropy is actually a good description of this. Doesn't entropy assume that everything will eventually drift into chaos? The Catholic view of divine relvelation would actually say that we would move toward order by seeing the entirety of revelation.
The way you applied it is really good.
In response to cure of ars: weren't similair statements made in response to Galileo? My point is: the science is what it is. Either there where multiple parents, or there was evolution. What little I know of the mitocondrial DNA study was that it was wishfull thinking.
So am I being unfaithful to the teachings of Pope Pius XII? I hope not. There are other passages in Genesis (and I'm not looking them right now) about the "sons of god" looking favorably on the daughters of Eve, and taking them in marraige. Here is one interpretation. There were others without original sin, but they married into it. Thus the sin "actually committed by an individual Adam in which through generation is passed onto all and is in everyone as his own" .
We as Catholics need to be cautious about not beleiveing every word that a Pope utters as infallible. Popes don't always speak "from the chair", even when writing encyclicals. Pius XII's teaching is that we inherit original sin from Adam & Eve. No surprise there, it's quite clear in the Bible and only a fool would dispute it.
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