Universal · Chain Position 148 of 346

COHERENCE UNIVERSAL

1 Corinthians 14:33 "God is not a God of disorder"

**Coherence Universal:** Coherence is the fundamental organizing principle of reality. All structure, order, information integration, and being itself tend toward coherence as their natural end.

Scripture Bridge
1 Corinthians 14:33 "God is not a God of disorder": The theological grounding for this concept.

Connections

Assumes

  • None

Enables

  • None
Objections & Responses
Objection: Entropy Increases, So Disorder Is Primary
"The Second Law says entropy increases. Coherence is temporary; disorder is the end state."
Response

The Second Law applies to closed systems. The universe is not ultimately closed—it has a divine source ([[063_BC6_Infinite-Energy-Source|BC6]]) providing infinite energy. Open systems receiving external input (grace) can increase coherence. Law VI (coherence non-increase) describes what happens without grace; [[148_U1_Coherence-Universal|U1]] describes what's possible with it.

Objection: Coherence Is Subjective
"What counts as 'coherent' depends on the observer. It's not a universal property."
Response

Coherence has precise mathematical definitions: von Neumann entropy S(ρ), integrated information Φ, quantum coherence measures. These are observer-independent. Different observers may focus on different aspects, but the underlying coherence structure is objective—it's a property of the density matrix, not the viewer.

Objection: Life Evolved Without Guidance
"Evolution shows complex order arising from random mutation and selection—no teleology needed."
Response

Evolution operates on an open system (Earth receives solar energy). It's a mechanism for coherence increase within the framework of [[148_U1_Coherence-Universal|U1]], not an exception to it. Selection favors more coherent (fit, integrated) organisms. Evolution is how coherence propagates in biology; [[148_U1_Coherence-Universal|U1]] explains why it works.

Objection: Quantum Mechanics Has No Preferred Direction
"The Schrödinger equation is time-symmetric. There's no built-in preference for coherence."
Response

The Schrödinger equation describes unitary evolution, which preserves coherence. Decoherence ([[149_U2_Decoherence-Universal|U2]]) arises from coupling to environment. The asymmetry comes from boundary conditions (low entropy past), which requires explanation ([[063_BC6_Infinite-Energy-Source|BC6]]). QM itself is coherence-neutral; the universe's boundary conditions favor coherence as initial state.

Objection: Coherence Seems Value-Laden
"Calling coherence 'good' or 'fundamental' is a value judgment, not physics."
Response

Coherence is a measurable quantity (S26). Its "goodness" is defined operationally: coherence increase enables persistence, complexity, consciousness, life. Calling coherence "good" is like calling energy "useful"—it's a statement about function, not arbitrary preference. [[148_U1_Coherence-Universal|U1]] is descriptive (coherence is fundamental) not merely prescriptive (coherence should be valued).

Physics Layer

Definitions of Coherence

Von Neumann Entropy (Information-Theoretic):

S(\rho) = -\text{Tr}(\rho \ln \rho)

Coherence: C = -S = \text{Tr}(\rho \ln \rho)

For pure states: S = 0, C = 0 (maximum coherence in different sense)

For mixed states: S > 0, coherence is purity: \gamma = \text{Tr}(\rho^2)

Quantum Coherence (Off-Diagonal Elements):

C_l(\rho) = \sum_{i \neq j} |\rho_{ij}|

Measures superposition: coherent states have large off-diagonal elements.

Integrated Information (IIT):

\Phi = \min_{partition} I(A:B|\text{partition})

Measures how much information is lost when a system is partitioned—how integrated it is.

Mathematical Layer

Formal Definition

Definition (Coherence Functional): Let \mathcal{S} be the space of quantum states. The coherence functional is:

C: \mathcal{S} \to \mathbb{R}

C(\rho) = \text{Tr}(\rho \ln \rho)

Properties:

1. C(\rho) \leq 0 with equality iff \rho is pure

2. C(\rho \otimes \sigma) = C(\rho) + C(\sigma) (additivity for product states)

3. C(U\rho U^\dagger) = C(\rho) (unitary invariance)

Defeat Conditions

To Falsify This

  1. **Coherence Is Derivative:** Demonstrate that coherence is not fundamental but reduces to some more basic quantity
  2. **Disorder Is Primary:** Prove that maximum entropy (total disorder) is the natural, preferred state of reality with no tendency toward order
  3. **Coherence Unmeasurable:** Show that coherence cannot be objectively measured or that different measures give contradictory results
  4. **Coherence Without Telos:** Establish that coherence exists but has no normative significance—order is not "better" than disorder
Cross-Domain Mappings
Domain Mapping
Physics Negentropy / Order Parameter
Theology Divine Order / Logos
Consciousness Integrated Information Theory
Quantum Quantum Coherence
Scripture 1 Corinthians 14:33 "God is not a God of disorder"
Evidence Self-Organization Studies
Information Information Integration

Bridge Count: 7