fweinert, bradford university (uk)1 philosophical consequences of great scientific discoveries...

FWeinert, Bradford University (UK) 1

Philosophical Consequences of Great Scientific Discoveries

Friedel Weinert

The whole of modern thought is steeped in science; it has made its way into the works of our best poets, and even the mere man of letters, who affects to

ignore and despise science, is unconsciously impregnated with her spirit, and indebted for his best products to her methods.

T. H. Huxley


Philosophical Dimensions of Research

Awareness of philosophical presuppositions [implicit assumptions]

‘All effects have a prior cause’ {?radioactive decay} ‘All events are uniquely predictable’ [?quantum mechanics] ‘All observers measure the same length of objects & the same

duration of events [?theory of relativity]

Social Sciences: assumptions about their nature and the nature of social reality Naturalism versus Hermeneutics Holism versus Individualism causality

Philosophical Implications and Consequences

Philosophical Consequences



Great Scientific Discoveries

Revolutionary Conceptual Innovations

Astronomy, Physics and Biology

Chemistry


Effects on Everyday Thinking

Copernicus (1543): Loss of Centrality

Darwin (1859): Loss of Rational Design

Effects on Science and Philosophy

Newtonianism Special Theory of Relativity Quantum Theory


Old notions are discarded by new

experiences.

M. Born (1949)


Newtonianism Mechanism Cosmos as a clockwork

The universe not not like a puppet, whose strings have to be pulled now and again, but it is like a clock, such as may be that at Strasburg, where all things are so skilfully contrived, that the engine being once set a-moving, all things proceed according to the artificer’s first design, and the motions do not require the peculiar interposing of the artificer, or any intelligent agent employed by him, but perform their functions upon particular occasions, by virtue of the general and primitive contrivance of the whole engine. (R. Boyle, 1672)



Newtonianism Determinism

We ought to regard the present state of the universe as the effect of its antecedent state and as the cause of the state that is to follow. An intelligence knowing all the forces acting in nature at a given instant, as well as the momentary positions of all things in the universe, would be able to comprehend in one single formula the motions of the largest bodies as well as of the lightest atoms in the world, provided that its intellect were sufficiently powerful to subject all data to analysis; to it nothing would be uncertain, the future as well as the past would be present to its eyes. (Laplace, 1820)

If the whole prior state of the entire universe could occur again, it would again be followed by the present state. (Mill, 1843)



Theory of Relativity (Einstein) new conceptions of space and time (4 dimensional space-time)

The views of time and space, which I have to set forth, have their foundation in experimental physics. Therein is their strength. Their tendency is revolutionary. From henceforth space and time in itself sink to mere shadows, and only a kind of union of the two preserves an independent existence. (Minkowski, 1908)


Invariant

length


block universe

According to the principle of relativity in its most extended sense, the space and time of physics are merely a mental scaffolding in which for our own convenience we locate the observable phenomena (A. Eddington, Nature 98, 1916)

In the realm of physics it is perhaps only the theory of relativity which has made it quite clear that space and time are forms of perception and have no place in the world constructed by mathematical physics. (H. Weyl, 1918)

For us believing physicists, the distinction between past, present and future is only an illusion, even if a stubborn one. (A. Einstein, 1955)

Modern physics is beginning to suggest that all the motions of the whole universe and time are an illusion. (J. Barbour, 1999)



Quantum mechanics indeterminism acausality?

If Gessler had ordered William Tell to shoot a hydrogen atom off his son’s head by means of an -particle and had given him the best laboratory instruments in the world instead of a cross-bow, Tell’s skill would have availed him nothing. Hit or miss would have been a matter of chance. (M. Born, 1935)

In quantum physics, determinism no longer obtains but causality still does. A cause, C, can be followed by one of several phenomena E1, E2, E3…with a certain probability of occurrence. (L. de Broglie, 1941)



Change of world view due to Social Sciences?

Freud (1905): Loss of ego transparency theory of infantile sexuality

In the course of centuries the naïve self-love of men has had to submit to two major blows at the hands of science. [Copernicanism: loss of centrality; Darwinism: loss of rational design]. But human megalomania will have suffered its third and most wounding blow from the psychological research of the present time which seeks to prove to the ego that it is not even master in its own house, but must content itself with scanty information of what is going on unconsciously in its mind. (S. Freud, 1916)



ExperimentsExperiments


Foucault’s Pendulum Experiment (1851)

proof of earth’s diurnal rotation

closed system

oscillation of pendulum in ‘absolute’ space

Lüscher Colour Test (1948)

universal association of primary colours with psychological & physiological needs

open system

evolutionary origin of association


Awareness of Philosophical Pitfalls

clear definitions of parameters involved clear, precise determination of relationship claimed to exist between

parameters awareness of alternative explanations danger of spurious correlations exclusion of alternatives awareness of importance of exceptions

apparent exceptions genuine exceptions

awareness of the nature of inductive support awareness of representative samples


fweinert, bradford university (uk)1 philosophical consequences of great scientific discoveries...

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