Time&Eternity

notes to chapter 3 299
Gottes im Paradigma der Selbstorganisation” (Physicalistic Assumption of God in the Paradigm
of Self-Organization), 124–45. He criticizes primarily the circular mixing of scientific
and ideological or philosophical conceptions. Regarding scientific overtures to theology,
Esterbauer notes that the sciences all too often exceed their competence, apply
methodical reductionism, and confuse categories.
287. Dissipative structures occur following a bifurcation (see below) and are distinguished
by an exchange of matter and energy between a system and its environment, as
well as by the system’s discharge of entropy to the environment. In Order Out of Chaos, 12,
Prigogine and Stengers assert that new types of structures can spontaneously occur far
from equilibrium. Disorder (thermal chaos) can transform into order under conditions
that are far from equilibrium. New dynamic states of matter can arise in which the interaction
of a system with its environment is reflected. They have called these new structures
dissipative structures, in order to emphasize the constructive role of dissipative processes
during the formation of these structures.
288. Although the term self-organization is problematic—as Arecchi, in “A Critical Approach
to Complexity and Self-Organization” (he instead recommends “hetero-organization”),
and Kirschenmann, in “On Time and the Source of Complexity,” have shown—I
am retaining it here. First, it is relatively well known, and, second, a treatment of the
philosophical difficulties that are associated with it would go beyond the framework of this
study.
289. Thus, in Zeit—Von der Urzeit zur Computerzeit, Mainzer says that a cosmic collapse
indeed means a regressive development of the universe, but not a decrease in entropy
(86). For Coveney and Highfield, on the other hand, an increase in entropy coincides with
the forward motion of time—thus with the time arrow (The Arrow of Time, 177).
290. For a lucid introduction to chaos theory, see, e.g., Huber, Stichwort: Chaosforschung.
In Die Chaostheorie, Achtner deals not only with the genesis and basic concepts
of chaos theory, but also with the reception of chaos theory by philosophy and theology.
Both include references to secondary literature. The publication of the 26th Nobel Conference
in 1990 (Holte, Chaos: The New Science), which contains short contributions by leading
chaos researchers (such as M. Feigenbaum, J. Gleick, B. Mandelbrot, H.-O. Peitgen,
and I. Prigogine), is also informative. For a detailed presentation, I refer the reader to Peitgen,
Jürgens, and Saupe, Chaos and Fractals.
291. The so-called butterfly effect goes back to the research of the meteorologist Edward
Lorenz.
292. Wild, “Wie kam die Zeit in die Welt?,” 179.
293. Mainzer, Zeit—Von der Urzeit zur Computerzeit, 81f.; Coveney and Highfield,
The Arrow of Time, 201.
294. Fractal geometry works with objects whose dimensions are not whole numbers,
but rather fractions of whole numbers. It was facilitated by the recognition that objects occurring
in nature, e.g., mountains, trees, and clouds, do not exhibit the ideal two- or threedimensionality
of the Euclidian surfaces and bodies, but, rather, lie somewhere “in-between.”
This is due to their self-similar structure—i.e., their structure repeats itself again
and again. The diversity and beauty of the forms created by using fractal geometry has also
been much discussed in the art world. Cf. the illustrations in Schroeder, Fractals.
295. It is no accident that one of Prigogine’s books is entitled From Being to Becoming.
Cf. also the numerous references to Whitehead in Prigogine and Stengers, Order Out of
Chaos.
296. Similar to the theory of relativity, chaos theory has also influenced general consciousness.
If chaos had a decidedly negative connotation thirty years ago, today distinctively
positive associations are attached to it: chaos as the prerequisite for creativity.