Truth
and Information
Question:-
According to the Quran Allah made the
Universe and its contents with Truth. How does this fit in with the scientific
view of Information?
Answer:-
I would suggest, in accordance with my studies
so far, and without being dogmatic, that the following thoughts on the subject
are appropriate:-
Truth refers to the Order or Organisation
that exists in things which determines their nature and behaviour and by which
they can be known.
The scientific view of Information is similar
but not identical. It also refers to order but to quantity rather than quality
and to fact rather than value. Ordinarily "information" tends to mean
"knowing about" something, whereas "truth" refers to the
thing that is "known" through interaction by direct experience.
Truth according to the Quran derives from the
Word or Command of God. This may refer to some kind of fundamental Universal
Vibration. Allah is the fundamental Absolute Reality. Truth can be defined as
"experience of Reality" and Knowledge as "consciousness of
Truth."
"…Allah, He is the Real, and that
whereon they call instead of Him is the False, and because Allah, He is the
High, the Great." 22:63
"…He is Allah, the One, the Absolute.
He has created the heavens and the earth with Truth…" 39:4-5
"Have they not pondered upon
themselves? Allah created not the heavens and the earth, and that which is
between them save with Truth and for a destined end." 30:8 and 38:28
"We created not the heavens and the
earth, and all that is between them, save with truth, and for a term
appointed." 46:3
"His word is Truth." 6:74
"He (Allah) said: The Truth Is, and
the Truth I speak." 38:85
The scientific idea of Information arises as
follows:-
According to the Second Law of Thermodynamics
energy must flow spontaneously from a place of greater concentration A to a
place of lesser concentration B. It cannot do so in the reverse direction
without the use of more energy. In other words it is the difference of
concentration between B and A that determines the flow of energy. No work can
be done unless energy flows.
If we think of energy as coming in little
packets P then we can see that the number of such packets is greater per unit
of space at A then it is at B. If we try to put these packets into a space C
that consists of the spaces A and B, then they will distribute themselves at
random. The chance that they will all stay only in space A or only in space B
is very low. The greatest probability is that they will be equally divided in
both spaces so that there is uniformity and we cannot distinguish one space
from the other. There is no information here. Information exists only when
there is a contrast and this denotes some kind of order. Thus we see that
greater relative concentration corresponds to relatively less probability.
Probability is inversely proportional to
order and information. The smaller the probability of something happening or
existing according to chance the greater is the need for the existence of a
determining cause for it to happen or exist.
The flow of energy depends on difference in
order or Truth. As energy refers to motion, there is really no energy without
flow. Energy is also related to mass by Einstein's formula E=MC^2
The word Entropy is used to describe disorder
or greater probability. The Second Law of Thermodynamics, therefore, requires
that in total entropy should always increase. Thus we find that all ordered
structures existing in an environment with which they interact will fall into
disorder. They do not spontaneously repair themselves, but will need constant
maintenance and repair by application of work, energy and effort.
The decrease in order can be called
degeneration or Involution. It takes place automatically according to the
Second Law Thermodynamics.
This one way flow of energy also describes
the flow of time. The direction of time is the direction of degeneration and
involution.
The increase in order can be called
Evolution. Construction, increase of order happens against the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
It requires a different process which we might call the Law of Creativity.
Construction by human beings is usually done through a conscious process.
The balance between increase and decrease in
order can be called Maintenance. This is illustrated by the repairs people do.
The relationship between Maintenance, Evolution, and Involution is similar to
that of Metabolism, Catabolism and Anabolism in living organisms. It is
probably part of a Universal Process. Living organisms can be regarded as
instruments of this.
The word Negentropy, and sometimes Virtue, is
used to describe order. This should normally always decrease. This, however,
does not apply locally, but globally. At a local level, in a sub-system, energy
could be brought in from the outside. For instance, the constant radiation of
energy from the sun allows evolution to take place on earth. The radiation of
the sun is of course an involutional process, one of increasing entropy. Within
the earth, organisms including human beings maintain their higher order by
absorbing energy from the environment. They will have to do so even more to
develop and evolve. The possibility of development, increasing order, at a
lower or more limited area depends, therefore, on (1) the existence of a source
of greater order at a higher, wider area but also on (2) the difference in
order between the higher and lower level and (3) the nature and ability of the
entity at the lower level to absorb, transform and utilise the energy.
The question is: If the Universe as a whole
is subject to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, of increasing entropy and
disorder, how did Order come into being in the first place? How did Energy come
to be concentrated? The answer could be that there was no space outside the
area where the energy existed. There was no difference between areas of
concentration. It is expansion of space that creates the difference. The
question then is: Why is space expanding? Is it that the pressure of the
concentrated energy is causing space to expand? The fact remains that there is
originally a higher order. It may be that order or information is being
introduced into the Universe from a higher source outside the Universe.
The force that appears to go against the Second
Law of Thermodynamics is Gravity which allows concentration. In the Sun this
not only creates the elements but also squeezes out the energy that radiates
out into space and is absorbed on earth. The gravity of sun and earth also
continually attract and absorb material from surrounding space through which
they move. This causes their growth which in turn increases their gravity. The
sun is maintained by the balance between its gravity and production of heat.
The fate of the Sun will depend on the balance between what it absorbs and
radiates.
Black Holes are formed when Gravity is so
great as to prevent even light from escaping. However, it is now known that
Black Holes also radiate into their surroundings. Order or Information is not
lost but recycled. It is possible, however, that there are no Black Holes
because as matter is compressed there is a phase change and we have some other
entity that forms the centre or Nucleus of Galaxies, into which material falls,
in transformed an re-radiated. The Universe itself may well have a Centre also.
It could be that at the Universal level a Principle of conservation of
Information applies. There may be a process of Involution balanced by a process
of Evolution, both positive and negative processes maintaining each other. 0 =
+X -X = 0. The Universe as whole comes out of nothing. This is similar to the
spontaneous arising and disappearance of the pairs of positive and negative
particles in empty space which is constantly taking place according to
Physicists. The fluctuation of space owing to the arising and mutual
annihilation of the pair, such as the electron and positron, appears to be
unpredictable locally. However, owing to the phenomenon known as
"entanglement" it is likely that the whole of space is connected such
that an event at one point affects and is affected by the whole of it, like a
spider's web. There
may well by a sub-quantum field underlying all phenomena where the separation
between particles ceases to exist and space-time behaves more like a super-fluid.
Consciousness may well have something to do with
this field. This also means that what we do affects and is affected by the rest
of the Cosmos by a much more direct interaction.
It is, however, likely that what is preserved
is not the Universe or the Information that sustains it, but something beyond
it, something more fundamental and self-existing, an Absolute. Perhaps a
distinction should be made between Potential and Active Information as there is
between Potential and Kinetic Energy. And there is a periodical change of one
into the other and back again as in a pendulum. According to the Quran, Truth
is Infinite:-
"Say: Were the oceans ink for the
Words of my Lord, the ocean would surely fail before the Words of my Lord fail;
aye, though We brought as much ink again!" 18:110
It may be that we are in a Black Hole or its
equivalent or that the whole Universe will fall into a Black Hole or its
equivalent and then be recreated, so that there are cycles, like the swing of a
pendulum from one extreme to the other. The Universe can be regarded as being
essentially a Field of basic particles or eddies that are organised in various
ways to form secondary entities at level 2, that are again organised into
entities at level 3 and so on to form all things. The whole of the Universe is
itself an entity within the Fundamental Absolute Reality. Everything arises
from and sinks back into it as waves do in the ocean.
But Gravity is not the only thing that has
attractive power. The fundamental particles exit in two forms, positive and
negative in equal amounts. Opposites attract while like ones repel. In this
case the over all repulsion must equal the over all attraction. It could be
that it is the repulsion that produces the expansion, the increase in entropy.
Human beings, as all other living organisms
also appear to have an instinct or drive, perhaps something that can be called
a Life Force that causes them to gather material, energy and information not
only to maintain theirs higher Negentropy over the environment, but also to
enhance it and achieve growth. There is a thirst for knowledge and experience,
for Truth, and the search, accumulation, processing and synthesis of it. There
is a built-in urge for self-extension, an evolutionary drive, though it is
sometimes suppressed, channelled, misdirected or distorted. In fact we are
required by Islam to grow spiritually and actualise the potentialities that
have been placed in us.
"And the soul and Who fashioned it,
and enlightened it with what is wrong and right for it! He indeed is successful
who causes it to grow (or purifies it)! And he indeed is a failure who corrupts
it!" 91:7-10
Though all this may seem to be a
self-maintaining system requiring no outside power, the fact remains that we
need an explanation for the existence of the medium in which all this takes
place and for the arising and existence of the laws that make this possible. It
is this fundamental Reality that is called Allah, and it is these Laws and
processes that are referred to as the Word of Allah.
"He produces creation, then
reproduces it, that He may reward those who believe and do good works with
equity." 10:5 and 10:35
"He directs the ordinance from the
heaven unto the earth; then it ascends unto Him in a Day, whereof the measure
is a thousand years of that which you reckon." 32:5
"Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways
whereby the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is
fifty thousand years." 70:3-4
"He knows that which goes down into
the earth, and that which comes forth from it, and that which descends from the
heaven, and that which ascends into it." 34: 2
"And all things We have created by
pairs, that haply you may reflect. Therefore, flee unto Allah.." 51:49
"The Day when We shall roll up the
heavens as a recorder rolls up a written scroll. As We began the first
creation, We shall repeat it. It is a promise binding on Us." 21:104
"Everything will pass away. There
remains but the countenance of Thy Lord of Might and Glory." 55: 26-27
The difference between the scientific and
religious approach is that science wants us to know and understand things for
technological purposes, whereas religion wants us to develop and evolve. It is
a much more personal and fundamental motive. This means that we have to be open
to receive, absorb and utilise the subtle but powerful forces that surround us.
The Islamic concept of Truth appears to have
the following interdependent characteristics:-
(1) Truth is unitary and all truth derives
from a single source forming a single system, though it has levels. This means
that something is true when it fits into a self-consistent system which is
itself part of a higher self-consistent system. Ultimate, the truth of
something depends on its relationship to Allah.
"And Our Commandment is but one, as
the twinkling of an eye." 55:50
"Allah it is who has created seven
heavens, and of the earth similarly. The commandment comes down among them
slowly, that you may know that Allah is Able to do all things, and that Allah
surrounds all things in knowledge." 65:12
(2) Because of this connection with a system,
Truth is not only a fact, but has meaning and value. The meaning refers to its
context, the connection with other facts. The value refers to its function with
respect to the whole. The word "fact" is used to refer to something
that is external and impersonal. But we cannot really know anything that does
not affect us. All so called facts are really interpretations, they are
meaningful. The word "Value" refers to the fact that we have a motive
which, of course is required for all action, even scientific research, and that
we have adjust to the world as our arising and evolution requires.
(3) The Whole system is always more than the
sum of the parts owing to the order, structure or pattern. The nature and
behaviour of an entity cannot be deduced from the parts only, but also depends
on its inner structure and its relationship with the system to which it
belongs. The behaviour of the whole is what has been called an emergent
epiphenomenon.
(4) The entity is a system that is not only
subject to external forces, but also to inner ones that come from the material
it is composed of and the way it is structured. All systems are self-regulating
to various degrees. This means that they have various inner feed-back and
balancing mechanisms.
(5) All parts of a system are sub-systems and
this means that they adjust to each other and to the whole. This capability can
be called Intelligence. This means that they have degrees of what can be called
(a) perception (b) motivation and (c) capability for action. The Human powers
so named are only greater degrees of these and derived from the same source.
(6) As Truth refers to Order, no assumption
is made as to any distinction between matter, energy, life or consciousness.
These can be regarded as aspects or properties of phenomena that differ in
degree only.
(7) Owing to this point of view, things like
natural structures on the earth, the earth, the sun, the galaxy, and the
universe can be regarded not only as physical structures but also as living and
conscious entities to various degrees. In fact, it is becoming apparent to
scientists that this planet is to a degree a self-regulating, living organism
and as such is called Gaia. However, things like the sea, the atmosphere, the
continents, the biosphere can also be regarded as self-regulating entities to a
degree but also interacting with each other.
Not a great amount of thinking or research
has been done from this point of view. But whether we think in terms of Truth
or Negentropy some of the consequences of human behaviour will be the same.
If we consider the amount of information,
order, Negentropy or Truth at any given time to be a certain quantity, X, then
this could be distributed to produce order of various kinds, one type of order
being achieved at the expense of another. Psychological order, social order,
physical order owing to technology, and environmental order could be
inter-changeable. Progress in one place would mean deterioration in another.
Psychological or social welfare could be sacrificed to material or economic
welfare or vice versa. It is possible to remove inner order from individuals or
groups to increase the social order or vice versa. Regimentation or mental
conditioning is an example of social order gained at the expense of
intelligence.
The increase in the population of higher
order organisms such as human beings would occur as a result of reduction in
lower order organisms. But reduction in human population through birth control
could result in an increase in insects and rodents. But increase in the quality
of human beings could be inversely proportional to the quantity of population.
Political events such as wars and civil disturbances could be the result of
materialism and moral bankruptcy in a much more direct way.
Given a community of people, order can be
distributed thinly over many individuals or concentrated in the few. If we
increase it in the few we can do it only by taking it away from the many.
Conversely, it is only when the many shed it by increasing their disorder then
the few can pick it up. Times of wars and civil disorder are often times when
great achievements are made by the few. If we consider the human population as
a whole, then the order in one community will increase at the expense of
another. The order between communities will also vary inversely with the
development of each community. The reduction of the human population could be
achieved by improvement in the quality of human beings or vice versa.
Consider the planet as a whole. Changes in
the amount of available order can be brought about by the burning of fossil
fuels. This may unlock sources of order and make it available, or it may simply
radiate it out of the planet. Order may also be locked up in the manufacture of
non-degradable materials such as plastics.
The manufacture of goods involves creating
complex order. It cannot be achieved without creating disorder elsewhere, that
is, by creating waste and pollution. The amount, the quality and the
distribution of goods are inversely related to each other. It is possible to
increase the quality of goods, or the way they are related to each other, while
reducing their quantity, without affecting the overall welfare.
The increase in the quantity, quality and
distribution of goods may be obtained by a sacrifice in the quality, quantity
or organization of human beings. Wars and corruption due to greed for goods are
an example.
Order is not, in fact, constant. Radiation to
and from this planet is continuous. The sun radiates not only heat and light
onto this planet, but also massive amounts of carbon, nitrogen and other
elements, some of which allow combinations into protoplasm, thus increasing the
amount of living matter. The earth, however, reflects some energy, absorbs
some, transforms some and re-radiates some out into space. The balance between
what is received and given off and how this is utilised determines its
development. And it is humanity, as the brain of the planet, that has
controlling power over this.
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