DOCSLIB.ORG

151545957.Pdf

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
151545957.Pdf Universit´ede Montr´eal Towards a Philosophical Reconstruction of the Dialogue between Modern Physics and Advaita Ved¯anta: An Inquiry into the Concepts of ¯ak¯a´sa, Vacuum and Reality par Jonathan Duquette Facult´ede th´eologie et de sciences des religions Th`ese pr´esent´ee `ala Facult´edes ´etudes sup´erieures en vue de l’obtention du grade de Philosophiae Doctor (Ph.D.) en sciences des religions Septembre 2010 c Jonathan Duquette, 2010 Universit´ede Montr´eal Facult´edes ´etudes sup´erieures et postdoctorales Cette th`ese intitul´ee: Towards A Philosophical Reconstruction of the Dialogue between Modern Physics and Advaita Ved¯anta: An Inquiry into the Concepts of ¯ak¯a´sa, Vacuum and Reality pr´esent´ee par: Jonathan Duquette a ´et´e´evalu´ee par un jury compos´edes personnes suivantes: Patrice Brodeur, pr´esident-rapporteur Trichur S. Rukmani, directrice de recherche Normand Mousseau, codirecteur de recherche Solange Lefebvre, membre du jury Varadaraja Raman, examinateur externe Karine Bates, repr´esentante du doyen de la FESP ii Abstract Toward the end of the 19th century, the Hindu monk and reformer Swami Vivekananda claimed that modern science was inevitably converging towards Advaita Ved¯anta, an important philosophico-religious system in Hinduism. In the decades that followed, in the midst of the revolution occasioned by the emergence of Einstein’s relativity and quantum physics, a growing number of authors claimed to discover striking “par- allels” between Advaita Ved¯anta and modern physics. Such claims of convergence have continued to the present day, especially in relation to quantum physics. In this dissertation, an attempt is made to critically examine such claims by engaging a de- tailed comparative analysis of two concepts: ¯ak¯a´sa in Advaita Ved¯anta and vacuum in quantum physics. What is examined is the claim that both concepts would refer to the same reality — an enduring, subtle and all-pervading physical substratum out of which the constituents of the world come into existence and to which they ulti- mately return. Based on this study, the dissertation argues that comparisons relying on conceptual affinities alone generally fall short of establishing a productive dia- logue between Advaita Ved¯anta and modern physics. Another approach is to bring into focus the epistemological limits respectively encountered by these systems when attempting to define the content of “reality-in-itself” or “ultimate reality.” Emphasis is given to epistemology and the problem of reality in Advaita Ved¯anta, and scientific realism and philosophical implications of nonseparability in quantum physics. Keywords: Dialogue; Natural Sciences; Eastern Spiritual Traditions; Advaita Ved¯an- ta; Modern Physics; Philosophy of science; ¯ak¯a´sa; Vacuum; Reality; Epistemology. iii R´esum´e Vers la fin du 19`eme si`ecle, le moine et r´eformateur hindou Swami Vivekananda affirma que la science moderne convergeait vers l’Advaita Ved¯anta, un important courant philosophique et religieux de l’hindouisme. Au cours des d´ecennies suiv- antes, suite aux apports scientifiques r´evolutionnaires de la th´eorie de la relativit´e d’Einstein et de la physique quantique, un nombre croissant d’auteurs soutenaient que d’importants “parall`eles” pouvaient ˆetre trac´es entre l’Advaita Ved¯anta et la physique moderne. Encore aujourd’hui, de tels rapprochements sont faits, particuli`erement en relation avec la physique quantique. Cette th`ese examine de mani`ere critique ces rapprochements `atravers l’´etude comparative d´etaill´ee de deux concepts: le concept d’¯ak¯a´sa dans l’Advaita Ved¯anta et celui de vide en physique quantique. L’´enonc´eex- amin´eest celui selon lequel ces deux concepts pointeraient vers une mˆeme r´ealit´e: un substratum omnipr´esent et subtil duquel ´emergent et auquel retournent ultimement les divers constituants de l’univers. Sur la base de cette ´etude comparative, la th`ese argumente que des comparaisons de nature conceptuelle favorisent rarement la mise en place d’un v´eritable dialogue entre l’Advaita Ved¯anta et la physique moderne. Une autre voie d’approche serait de prendre en consid´eration les limites ´epist´emologiques respectivement rencontr´ees par ces disciplines dans leur approche du “r´eel-en-soi” ou de la “r´ealit´eultime.” Une attention particuli`ere sera port´ee sur l’´epist´emologie et le probl`eme de la nature de la r´ealit´edans l’Advaita Ved¯anta, ainsi que sur le r´ealisme scientifique et les implications philosophiques de la non-s´eparabilit´een physique quan- tique. Mots-cl´es: Dialogue; Sciences naturelles; Traditions spirituelles orientales; Advaita Ved¯anta; Physique moderne; Philosophie des sciences; ¯ak¯a´sa; Vide; R´ealit´e; Epist´emo-´ logie. iv Contents Abstract ii R´esum´e iii Contents iv List of Figures vii Abbreviations viii Acknowledgments ix Preface xii 1 Introduction 1 2 Eastern Spiritual Traditions and Quantum Physics 15 2.1 NatureoftheParallels .......................... 19 2.1.1 TheRoleoftheObserver. 21 2.1.2 Holism in Quantum Physics . 29 2.1.3 Ak¯a´sa¯ ,FieldsandQuantumVacuum . 37 2.2 HopesandPitfallsofParallelism . 44 CONTENTS v 2.2.1 ParallelisminPractice . 45 2.2.2 Convergence, Conflict or Independence? . 51 3 The Vacuum in Modern Science 61 3.1 The Vacuum: From the Milesians to Einstein . .. 63 3.1.1 Greek Speculations About Vacuum . 64 3.1.2 VacuumasaPhysicalEntity. 67 3.1.3 VacuumasaMedium....................... 72 3.1.4 Vacuum in the Theory of Relativity . 78 3.2 VacuuminQuantumFieldTheory . 82 3.2.1 TheWave-ParticleDuality . 84 3.2.2 Interpretations of the Wavefunction . 89 3.2.3 OntologyinQuantumFieldTheory . 94 3.2.4 TheQuantumVacuum . 102 3.3 ConcludingRemarks . .. .. 112 4 Ak¯a´sa¯ in Hindu Schools of Thought 115 4.1 Textual Sources in Vedic Literature . 119 4.1.1 Early reflections about bh¯utas .................. 121 4.1.2 Ak¯a´sa¯ in the Upanis.ads ..................... 129 4.2 Ak¯a´sa¯ in the Hindu dar´sanas ...................... 139 4.2.1 The Vai´ses.ika dar´sana ...................... 142 4.2.2 The S¯am. khya dar´sana ...................... 151 4.3 The Advaita Ved¯anta dar´sana ...................... 160 4.3.1 Nature and Knowledge of Brahman ............... 163 CONTENTS vi 4.3.2 Cosmological Insights into Advaita Ved¯anta . ... 175 4.3.3 Ak¯a´sa¯ inAdvaitaVed¯anta . 186 4.4 ConcludingRemarks . .. .. 207 5 Analysis and Proposal for Dialogue 211 5.1 Comparative Analysis: Quantum vacuum and ¯ak¯a´sa .......... 212 5.1.1 Analogies and Parallels: A Critical Analysis . ... 214 5.1.2 EpistemologicalBoundary . 234 5.2 Modern Physics and Advaita Ved¯anta . 249 5.2.1 Scientific Realism and Limits of Knowledge . 250 5.2.2 Nonseparability and d’Espagnat’s Ontological Reality..... 259 5.2.3 AnIntegralPerspectivetoDialogue . 269 Conclusion 287 Bibliography 293 1. Primary Sources in Indian Philosophy . 293 2. Indian Philosophy and Eastern Spiritual Traditions . ........ 294 3. Modern Science and Eastern Spiritual Traditions . ...... 299 4. Science, Religion and Western Philosophy . .... 304 5. Physics and Philosophy of Science . 305 6. Orientalism and Comparative Studies . 313 vii List of Figures 3.1 The experiment on vacuum made by Torricelli . .. 69 3.2 The double-slit experiment in quantum physics . .... 88 3.3 ExampleofaFeynmandiagram . 105 4.1 The evolution process in S¯am. khya.................... 155 4.2 The pa˜nc¯ıkaran. a modelinVed¯anta . 182 5.1 Bernard d’Espagnat’s scheme for his “veiled reality” thesis . 267 5.2 Two ways of relating physics and Advaita Ved¯anta . .... 275 5.3 TheGreatChainofBeing . 279 5.4 Mapservingasadialogicalbasis . 284 viii Abbreviations AitBr Aitareya Br¯ahman. a RV R. gveda AU Aitareya Upanis.ad SB Siddh¯antabindu BhG Bhagavad-G¯ıt¯a SBr´ Satapatha´ Br¯ahman. a BS Brahmas¯utra SK S¯am. khyak¯arik¯a BrU Br.had¯aran. yaka Upanis.ad SPB S¯am. khyapravacanabh¯as.ya BSB Brahmas¯utrabh¯as.ya TU Taittir¯ıya Upanis.ad ChU Ch¯andogya Upanis.ad Upad Upade´sas¯ahasr¯ı KaU Kat.ha Upanis.ad VP Ved¯anta Paribh¯as.¯a KsU Kaus.¯ıtaki Upanis.ad VS Vai´ses.ikas¯utras MaU M¯an. d. ¯ukya Upanis.ad MtU Maitr¯ı Upanis.ad NS Ny¯ayas¯utras PD Pa˜ncada´s¯ı PaU Pai˙ngala Upanis.ad PDS Pad¯arthadharmasam. graha PU Pra´sna Upanis.ad QFT Quantum field theory ix Acknowledgments First, I wish to thank my two advisors — Prof. Trichur S. Rukmani from Concordia University (Department of Religion), and Prof. Normand Mousseau from University of Montreal (Department of Physics) — for their continuous support in this research. Without the vision and insights of Prof. Rukmani, who was the first to hear about my ideas, this study would not have been possible at all. She has been my first guru in the academic world of Indian philosophy, and was always there to listen and give judicious advices on my research and other areas of life as well. Without her constant guidance and patience (in proofreading my chapters, English and fellowship applications!), things would have been much more difficult for me. Prof. Mousseau has been a real motivating force in the course of this project in challenging me with good and pertinent questions when necessary. His intelligence and energy have impressed me, and his hard work has reminded me of the need to be persistent to accomplish any goal in life. He was always there to meet and talk about my ideas whether scientific, philosophical or academic, and I have greatly appreciated that. Besides my advisors, I would like to thank the rest of my thesis committee, and particularly: Prof. Solange Lefebvre, who introduced me to religious studies by giving me my first job as a research assistant in a Templeton project, and also agreed with my Ph.D. research project at its very beginnings; and Prof.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Philosophy of Science and Philosophy of Chemistry
    Philosophy of Science and Philosophy of Chemistry Jaap van Brakel Abstract: In this paper I assess the relation between philosophy of chemistry and (general) philosophy of science, focusing on those themes in the philoso- phy of chemistry that may bring about major revisions or extensions of cur- rent philosophy of science. Three themes can claim to make a unique contri- bution to philosophy of science: first, the variety of materials in the (natural and artificial) world; second, extending the world by making new stuff; and, third, specific features of the relations between chemistry and physics. Keywords : philosophy of science, philosophy of chemistry, interdiscourse relations, making stuff, variety of substances . 1. Introduction Chemistry is unique and distinguishes itself from all other sciences, with respect to three broad issues: • A (variety of) stuff perspective, requiring conceptual analysis of the notion of stuff or material (Sections 4 and 5). • A making stuff perspective: the transformation of stuff by chemical reaction or phase transition (Section 6). • The pivotal role of the relations between chemistry and physics in connection with the question how everything fits together (Section 7). All themes in the philosophy of chemistry can be classified in one of these three clusters or make contributions to general philosophy of science that, as yet , are not particularly different from similar contributions from other sci- ences (Section 3). I do not exclude the possibility of there being more than three clusters of philosophical issues unique to philosophy of chemistry, but I am not aware of any as yet. Moreover, highlighting the issues discussed in Sections 5-7 does not mean that issues reviewed in Section 3 are less im- portant in revising the philosophy of science.
    [Show full text]
  • Blackbody Radiation: (Vibrational Energies of Atoms in Solid Produce BB Radiation)
    Independent study in physics The Thermodynamic Interaction of Light with Matter Mirna Alhanash Project in Physics Uppsala University Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................................ 3 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Blackbody Radiation: (vibrational energies of atoms in solid produce BB radiation) .................................... 4 Stefan-Boltzmann .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Wien displacement law..................................................................................................................................................... 7 Photoelectric effect ......................................................................................................................................................... 12 Frequency dependence/Atom model & electron excitation .................................................................................. 12 Why we see colours ....................................................................................................................................................... 14 Optical properties of materials: ..................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Bhagavata Purana
    Bhagavata Purana The Bh āgavata Pur āṇa (Devanagari : भागवतपुराण ; also Śrīmad Bh āgavata Mah ā Pur āṇa, Śrīmad Bh āgavatam or Bh āgavata ) is one of Hinduism 's eighteen great Puranas (Mahapuranas , great histories).[1][2] Composed in Sanskrit and available in almost all Indian languages,[3] it promotes bhakti (devotion) to Krishna [4][5][6] integrating themes from the Advaita (monism) philosophy of Adi Shankara .[5][7][8] The Bhagavata Purana , like other puranas, discusses a wide range of topics including cosmology, genealogy, geography, mythology, legend, music, dance, yoga and culture.[5][9] As it begins, the forces of evil have won a war between the benevolent devas (deities) and evil asuras (demons) and now rule the universe. Truth re-emerges as Krishna, (called " Hari " and " Vasudeva " in the text) – first makes peace with the demons, understands them and then creatively defeats them, bringing back hope, justice, freedom and good – a cyclic theme that appears in many legends.[10] The Bhagavata Purana is a revered text in Vaishnavism , a Hindu tradition that reveres Vishnu.[11] The text presents a form of religion ( dharma ) that competes with that of the Vedas , wherein bhakti ultimately leads to self-knowledge, liberation ( moksha ) and bliss.[12] However the Bhagavata Purana asserts that the inner nature and outer form of Krishna is identical to the Vedas and that this is what rescues the world from the forces of evil.[13] An oft-quoted verse is used by some Krishna sects to assert that the text itself is Krishna in literary
    [Show full text]
  • Forgotten Bibles: Friedrich Max Müller's Edition of the Sacred Books
    University of Groningen Forgotten Bibles: Friedrich Max Müller’s Edition of the Sacred Books of the East Molendijk, Arie Published in: Publications of the English Goethe Society DOI: 10.1080/09593683.2016.1224507 IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below. Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Publication date: 2016 Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database Citation for published version (APA): Molendijk, A. (2016). Forgotten Bibles: Friedrich Max Müller’s Edition of the Sacred Books of the East. Publications of the English Goethe Society, 85(2-3), 159-169. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593683.2016.1224507 Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). The publication may also be distributed here under the terms of Article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act, indicated by the “Taverne” license. More information can be found on the University of Groningen website: https://www.rug.nl/library/open-access/self-archiving-pure/taverne- amendment. Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal.
    [Show full text]
  • Kelvin's Clouds
    Kelvin’s clouds Oliver Passon∗ July 1, 2021 Abstract In 1900 Lord Kelvin identified two problems for 19th century physics, two“clouds” as he puts it: the relative motion of the ether with respect to massive objects, and Maxwell-Boltzmann’s theorem on the equipartition of energy. These issues were eventually solved by the theory of special relativity and by quantum mechanics. In modern quotations, the content of Kelvin’s lecture is almost always distorted and misrepresented. For example, it is commonly claimed that Kelvin was concerned about the UV- catastrophe of the Rayleigh-Jeans law, while his lecture actually makes no reference at all to blackbody radiation. I rectify these mistakes and explore reasons for their occurrence. 1 Introduction In 1900, Lord Kelvin, born as William Thomson, delivered a lecture in which he identified two problems for physics at the turn of the 20th century: the question of the existence of ether and the equipartition theorem. The solution for these two clouds was eventually achieved by the theory of special relativity and by quantum mechanics [1]. Understandably, these prophetic remarks are often quoted in popular science books or in the introductory sections of textbooks on modern physics. A typical example is found in the textbook by Tipler and Llewellyn [2]: [...] as there were already vexing cracks in the foundation of what we now refer to as classical physics. Two of these were described by Lord Kelvin, in his famous Baltimore Lectures in 1900, as the “two clouds” on the horizon of twentieth-century physics: the failure of arXiv:2106.16033v1 [physics.hist-ph] 30 Jun 2021 theory to account for the radiation spectrum emitted by a blackbody and the inexplicable results of the Michelson-Morley experiment.
    [Show full text]
  • Physics Needs Philosophy. Philosophy Needs Physics
    Found Phys (2018) 48:481–491 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10701-018-0167-y Physics Needs Philosophy. Philosophy Needs Physics Carlo Rovelli1 Received: 4 April 2018 / Accepted: 5 April 2018 / Published online: 3 May 2018 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018 Abstract Contrary to claims about the irrelevance of philosophy for science, I argue that philosophy has had, and still has, far more influence on physics than is commonly assumed. I maintain that the current anti-philosophical ideology has had damaging effects on the fertility of science. I also suggest that recent important empirical results, such as the detection of the Higgs particle and gravitational waves, and the failure to detect supersymmetry where many expected to find it, question the validity of certain philosophical assumptions common among theoretical physicists, inviting us to engage in a clearer philosophical reflection on scientific method. Keywords Philosophy of physics · Aristotle · Popper · Kuhn 1. Against Philosophy is the title of a chapter of a book by one of the great physicists of the last generation: Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize winner and one of the architects of the Standard Model of elementary particle physics [1]. Weinberg argues eloquently that philosophy is more damaging than helpful for physics—although it might pro- vide some good ideas at times, it is often a straightjacket that physicists have to free themselves from. More radically, Stephen Hawking famously wrote that “philosophy is dead” because the big questions that used to be discussed by philosophers are now in the hands of physicists [2]. Similar views are widespread among scientists, and scientists do not keep them to themselves.
    [Show full text]
  • Note-A-Rific: Blackbody Radiation
    Note-A-Rific: Blackbody Radiation What is Blackbody How to Calculate Peak Failure of Classical Radiation Wavelength Physics What is Blackbody Radiation? As thermal energy is added to an object to heat it up, the object will emit radiation at various wavelengths. • All objects emit radiation at an intensity equal to its temperature (in degrees Kelvin, see Glossary) to the fourth power. 4 Intensity = T o At room temperatures, we are not aware of objects emitting radiation because it’s at such a low intensity. o At higher temperatures there is enough infrared radiation that we can feel it. o At still higher temperatures (about 1000K) we can actually see the object glowing red o At temperatures above 2000K, objects glow yellowish or white hot. No real object will absorb all radiation falling on it, nor will it re-emit all of the energy it absorbs. • Instead physicists came up with a theoretical model called a Blackbody. • A blackbody absorbs all radiation falling on it, and then releases all that energy as radiation in the form of EM waves. • As the temperature of a blackbody increases, it will emit more and more intense radiation. • At the same time, as the temperature increases, most of the radiation is released at higher and higher frequencies (lower and lower wavelengths). • The frequency at which the emitted radiation is at the highest intensity is called the peak frequency or (more typically) the peak wavelength. • This explains why an object at room temperature does not emit much radiation, and what radiation it does emit is at higher wavelengths, like infrared.
    [Show full text]
  • Blackbody Radiation and the Quantization of Energy
    Blackbody Radiation and the Quantization of Energy Energy quantization, the noncontinuous nature of energy,was discovered from observing radiant energy from blackb o dies. A blackbody absorbs electromagnetic EM energy eciently. An ideal blackb o dy absorbs all electromagnetic energy that b ears up on it. Ecient absorb ers of energy also are ecient emitters or else they would heat up without limit. Energy radiated from blackb o dies was studied b ecause the characteristics of the radiation are indep endent of the material constitution of the blackb o dy. Therefore, conclusions reached by the study of energy radiated from blackb o dies do not require quali cations related to the material studied. If you heat up a go o d absorb er emitter of EM energy, it will radiate energy with total p ower p er unit area prop ortional to the fourth p ower of temp erature in degrees Kelvin. This is the Stefan - Boltzmann law: 4 R = T ; 8 2 4 where the Stefan constant =5:6703 10 W/m K . This lawwas rst prop osed by Josef Stefan in 1879 and studied theoretically by Boltzmann a few years later, so it is named after b oth of them. The EM energy emitted from a blackb o dy actually dep ends strongly on the wavelength, , of the energy. Thus, radiantpower is a function of wavelength, R , and total p ower p er unit area is simply an integral over all wavelengths: Z R = R d: 1 The function R is called the blackbody spectrum. Recall that ! 2 c = f = ! =2f k = k The blackb o dy sp ectrum is di erent for di erent temp eratures, but has the same general shap e as the solid lines in Figure 1 show.
    [Show full text]
  • I. New Additions to Parliament Library
    April 2008 I. NEW ADDITIONS TO PARLIAMENT LIBRARY 000 GENERALITIES 1 Sabharawal, Gopa India since 1947: the independent years / Gopa Sabharawal.-- New Delhi: Penguin Books, 2007. 392p.; 19.5cm. ISBN : 978-0-14310-274-8. 001 GOP-in B179455 2 Bopp, Richard E., ed. Reference and information services: an introduction / edited by Richard E. Bopp and Linda C. Smith.--3rd ed.-- Englewood: Libraries Unlimited, 2005. xxiv, 617p.: figs: boxes; 25.5cm. (Library and Information Science text series). Bibliography: p.580-590. ISBN : 1-56308-624-7. 025.52 BOP-r B179678 3 Pinto, Rochelle Between empires: print and politics in Goa /Rochelle Pinto.—- New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007. xiv, 299p.; 23cm. Bibliography: p.268-294. ISBN : 9 78-0-19-569047-7. 070.175458 PIN-b B179609 4 Zamiruddin In stride: essays in jest and earnest / Zamiruddin.-- Bhopal: Quality Publishing, 2006. 240p.; 21.5cm. ISBN : 81-89200-40-2. 070.44 P6 B179824 5 Thorat, Sukhdeo, ed. Ambedkar in retrospect: essays on economics, politics and society /edited by Sukhdeo Thorat and Aryama.--Jaipur: Rawat Publications, 2007. vii, 36 0 p.; 2 2cm. ISBN : 81-316-0047-5. 080 AMB-t B179803 6 Gupta, D.N., ed. Bhagat Singh: select speeches and writings / edited by D.N. Gupta; foreword by Bipan Chandra.-- New Delhi: National Book Trust, 2007. xxiv, 152p.; 22cm. (Popular Social Science). ISBN : 978-81-237-4941-9. 080 BHA-b B180602 7 Nanda, B.R., ed. The collected works of Lala Lajpat Rai / edited by B.R. Nanda.-- New Delhi: Manohar Publishers, 2008. xxiv,432p.;24cm. ISBN : 81-7304-480-5.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Philosophy in a Naturalized World
    EuJAP | Vol. 8 | No. 1 | 2012 ORIGINAL SCIENTIFIC PAPER UDK: 1 Dummett, M. 1:53 530.1:140.8 113/119 THE ROLE OF PHILOSOPHY IN A NATURALIZED WORLD JAN FAYE University of Copenhagen ABSTRACT 1. Introduction This paper discusses the late Michael Dummett’s Why are humanists and natural scientists characterization of the estrangement between unable to understand one another? Th is physics and philosophy. It argues against those physicists who hold that modern physics, seems to be one of the two main questions rather than philosophy, can answer traditional that concern Sir Michael in his thought- metaphysical questions such as why there is provoking essay “Th e Place of Philosophy something rather than nothing. The claim is that in the European Culture.” He does not physics cannot solve metaphysical problems since metaphysical issues are in principle himself supply us with any defi nite answer, empirically underdetermined. The paper closes but suggests that philosophers in general with a critical discussion of the assumption of do not know much about the natural some cosmologists that the Universe was created sciences, and therefore do not dare to speak out of nothing: In contrast to this misleading up against the natural scientists (and those assumption, it is proposed that the Universe has a necessary existence and that the present epoch who do are not interested in the same kind after the Big Bang is a contingent realization of of problems as the scientists.) Moreover, the Universe. because of the great success of the natural sciences scientists are often arrogant by Keywords: : Dummett, physics, philosophy, meta- assuming that the only knowledge we physics, underdetermination, cosmology can have is the knowledge they are able to provide.
    [Show full text]
  • 'Science and Religion' Is
    Investigating the ‘Science’ in ‘Eastern Religions’: A methodological inquiry The trope of ‘science and religion’ is usually employed in western academic circles as a shorthand for the historical narratives and the philosophical analyses of the various overlaps, oppositions, and disjunctions between empirical scientific methodologies and specifically Christian doctrines of God, creation, and redemption. Over the last five decades or so, the key terms ‘science’ and ‘religion’, understood in terms of these referents, have been minutely scrutinised, and various typologies of the relations, some more amicable than the others, between these categories have been proposed. More recently, the rubric of ‘Eastern Religions’ has sometimes been added to these discussions, where this category encompasses diverse spiritual strands which have received varying degrees of scholarly attention. The engagements of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhisms with quantum physics and neurobiology have been quite extensively studied, and various interpretations of the empirical sciences have been offered also from certain Hindu Vedantic perspectives. From a historical perspective, there is a conceptual-institutional divergence between the discourses of ‘science and Christianity’ and of ‘science and eastern religions’, in that while European science and Christianity emerged from a common intellectual and institutional matrix of post- Reformation cultures, and were thus crucially shaped by their mutual borrowings and hostilities, European science is a more recent arrival in various
    [Show full text]
  • Revised Version, October, 2016
    © <2016>. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ THE ORIGINS OF THE RESEARCH ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF QUANTUM MECHANICS (AND OTHER CRITICAL ACTIVITIES) IN ITALY DURING THE 1970s (Revised version, October, 2016) Angelo Baracca*, Silvio Bergia+ and Flavio Del Santo” * University of Florence, Italy, [email protected] + University of Bologna, Italy, [email protected] ― University of Vienna, Austria, [email protected] Abstract We present a reconstruction of the studies on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics carried out in Italy at the turn of the 1960s. Actually, they preceded the revival of the interest of the American physicists towards the foundations of quantum mechanics around mid-1970s, recently reconstructed by David Kaiser in a book of 2011. An element common to both cases is the role played by the young generation, even though the respective motivations were quite different. In the US they reacted to research cuts after the war in Vietnam, and were inspired by the New Age mood. In Italy the dissatisfaction of the young generations was rooted in the student protests of 1968 and the subsequent labour and social fights, which challenged the role of scientists. The young generations of physicists searched for new scientific approaches and challenged their own scientific knowledge and role. The criticism to the foundations of quantum mechanics and the perspectives of submitting them to experimental tests were perceived as an innovative research field and this attitude was directly linked to the search for an innovative and radical approach in the history of science.
    [Show full text]