Clinamen

Originally proposed by Epicurus, the “clinamen” refers to a spontaneous and unpredictable swerve, or deviation, of atoms from their deterministic paths.

An early attempt to reconcile determinism with the apparent unpredictability and spontaneity we observe in the world. Linked to ideas of emergence, randomness, stochastic outcomes?

Suggests a universe that is neither wholly predictable nor completely chaotic, but one where small, unpredictable deviations lead to emergent complexity.

In De Rerum Natura, Lucretius argues that atomic deviations from straight-line pathways foster new, spontaneous interactions to form various intricacies and differences within the universe. While this randomness can lead to new and beneficial interactions, it also introduces a level of unpredictability that can destabilize patterns and expectations, potentially causing chaos where stability is needed. — Matthew Gluckman, “Lucretius revisited: Ancient Wisdom in the AI Age”, Antigone (2024)

• [&] Compare with: counterfactual reasoning