--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is important to distinguish 'pure…" description: "\"“It is important to distinguish 'pure chance' from 'chance' or 'accident.' Things may happen by chance or accident in a purely deterministic universe....." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5c/anonymous-1_chance_it-is-important-to-distinguish-pure-chan_1717899.jpg" --- # It is important to distinguish 'pure chance' from 'chance'… ![“It is important to distinguish 'pure chance' from 'chance' or 'accident.' Things may happen by chance or accident in a purely deterministic universe...Now there is perhaps a sense of 'could not have done otherwise' in which whether or not a person could or could not have done otherwise depends on…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5c/anonymous-1_chance_it-is-important-to-distinguish-pure-chan_1717899.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5c/anonymous-1_chance_it-is-important-to-distinguish-pure-chan_1717899.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5c/anonymous-1_chance_it-is-important-to-distinguish-pure-chan_1717899.jpg) > ““It is important to distinguish 'pure chance' from 'chance' or 'accident.' Things may happen by chance or accident in a purely deterministic universe...Now there is perhaps a sense of 'could not have done otherwise' in which whether or not a person could or could not have done otherwise depends on whether or not the universe is deterministic.”” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote explores the philosophical distinction between random events and deterministic causality, questioning free will in a deterministic universe. **In simple terms:** It debates if events are random or predetermined and how that affects free will. Key Takeaway Consider how determinism influences personal responsibility. Themes philosophy free will determinism causality Mood contemplative curious Type theoretical philosophical When to use this quote - ethical debates - legal responsibility - personal decision making - scientific modeling Key Concepts metaphysics probability modal logic Questions to Reflect On - Do you believe true randomness exists? - How does determinism affect moral accountability? A Different Perspective Determinism may oversimplify complex systems and ignore emergent randomness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Chance Accident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance-accident-985641/) [Determinism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determinism/) [Deterministic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deterministic-335585/) [Deterministic Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deterministic-universe-1309172/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Pure Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pure-chance-1309171/) [Random](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/random/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Deterministic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-deterministic-442095/) ## Related quotes > [The universe is deterministic all right, just like Newton said, I mean it's trying to be, but the only thing going wrong is people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/the-universe-is-deterministic-all-right-just-like-newton-said-i-mean/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [“The uncertainty principle signaled an end to Laplace's dream of a theory of science, a model of the universe that would be completely deterministic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-uncertainty-principle-signaled-an-end-to-laplace-s-dream-of-a/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [Science is unflinchingly deterministic, and it has begun to force its determinism into morals. On some shining tomorrow a psychoanalyst may be put into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/science-is-unflinchingly-deterministic-and-it-has-begun-to-force-its/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Everything, including that which happens in our brains, depends on these and only on these: A set of fixed, deterministic laws. A purely random…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-minsky/everything-including-that-which-happens-in-our-brains-depends-on/) [Marvin Minsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-minsky/) > [Every man whom chance alone has, by some accident, made a public character, hardly ever fails of becoming, in a short time, a ridiculous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-francois-paul-de-gondi/every-man-whom-chance-alone-has-by-some-accident-made-a-public/) [Jean Francois Paul de Gondi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-francois-paul-de-gondi/) > [“Can anyone alter fate? All of us combined... or one great figure... or someone strategically placed, who happens to be in the right spot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-peralta/can-anyone-alter-fate-all-of-us-combined-or-one-great-figure-or/) [Samuel Peralta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-peralta/) > [Nothing in the many processes of Nature, whether she deals with men or with things, comes by chance or accident or is really at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/nothing-in-the-many-processes-of-nature-whether-she-deals-with-men-or/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [Can anyone alter fate? All of us combined... or one great figure... or someone strategically placed, who happens to be in the right spot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/can-anyone-alter-fate-all-of-us-combined-or-one-great-figure-or-2/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [If God resides anywhere ... surely he shelters behind barricades of pure chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mawer/if-god-resides-anywhere-surely-he-shelters-behind-barricades-of-pure/) [Simon Mawer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mawer/) > [Chance alone is at the source of every innovaton, of all creation in the biosphere. Pure chance, only chance, absolute but blind liberty is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-monod/chance-alone-is-at-the-source-of-every-innovaton-of-all-creation-in/) [Jacques Monod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-monod/) > [“Carl and I knew we were the beneficiaries of chance, that pure chance could be so kind that we could find one another in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-druyan/carl-and-i-knew-we-were-the-beneficiaries-of-chance-that-pure-chance/) [Annie Druyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-druyan/) > [“Henry liked to put to himself when he was a schoolboy: what are the chances of this particular fish, from that shoal, off that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/henry-liked-to-put-to-himself-when-he-was-a-schoolboy-what-are-the/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“I have been enormously impressed by the role that pure chance plays in determining our life history. I was reminded of some famous lines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-have-been-enormously-impressed-by-the-role-that-pure-chance-plays/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [There was no difference between the behavior of a god and the operations of pure chance...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/there-was-no-difference-between-the-behavior-of-a-god-and-the/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [“When you look at the past, the past will always be deterministic, since only one single observation took place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/when-you-look-at-the-past-the-past-will-always-be-deterministic-since/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. 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I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. 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With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. 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