On Physics and Philosophy

Among the great ironies of quantum mechanics is not only that its conceptual foundations seem strange even to the physicists who use it, but that philosophers have largely ignored it. Here, Bernard d'Espagnat argues that quantum physics--by casting doubts on once hallowed concepts such as space, material objects, and causality-demands serious reconsideration of most of traditional philosophy. __On Physics and Philosophy__ is an accessible, mathematics-free reflection on the philosophical meaning of the quantum revolution, by one of the world's leading authorities on the subject. D'Espagnat presents an objective account of the main guiding principles of contemporary physics-in particular, quantum mechanics-followed by a look at just what consequences these should imply for philosophical thinking. The author begins by describing recent discoveries in quantum physics such as nonseparability, and explicating the significance of contemporary developments such as decoherence. Then he proceeds to set various philosophical theories of knowledge--such as materialism, realism, Kantism, and neo-Kantism--against the conceptual problems quantum theory raises. His overall conclusion is that while the physical implications of quantum theory suggest that scientific knowledge will never truly describe mind-independent reality, the notion of such an ultimate reality--one we can never access directly or rationally and which he calls "veiled reality"--remains conceptually necessary nonetheless.

Among the great ironies of quantum mechanics is not only that its conceptual foundations seem strange even to the physicists who use it, but that philosophers have largely ignored it. Here, Bernard d'Espagnat argues that quantum physics--by casting doubts on once hallowed concepts such as space, material objects, and causality-demands serious reconsideration of most of traditional philosophy.

On Physics and Philosophy is an accessible, mathematics-free reflection on the philosophical meaning of the quantum revolution, by one of the world's leading authorities on the subject. D'Espagnat presents an objective account of the main guiding principles of contemporary physics-in particular, quantum mechanics-followed by a look at just what consequences these should imply for philosophical thinking.

The author begins by describing recent discoveries in quantum physics such as nonseparability, and explicating the significance of contemporary developments such as decoherence. Then he proceeds to set various philosophical theories of knowledge--such as materialism, realism, Kantism, and neo-Kantism--against the conceptual problems quantum theory raises. His overall conclusion is that while the physical implications of quantum theory suggest that scientific knowledge will never truly describe mind-independent reality, the notion of such an ultimate reality--one we can never access directly or rationally and which he calls "veiled reality"--remains conceptually necessary nonetheless.

Part 1: Physical Facts And Related Conceptual Problems. Broad Overview -- Overstepping The Limits Of The Framework Of Familiar Concepts -- Nonseparability And Bell's Theorem -- Objectivity And Empirical Reality -- Quantum Physics And Realism -- Universal Laws And The Reality Question -- Antirealism And Physics; The Einstein-podolsky-rosen Problem; Methodological Operationalism -- Measurement And Decoherence, Universality Revisited -- Various Realist Attempts -- Schrödinger's Cat, Wigner's Friend, And Veiled Reality -- Part 2: A Philosophical Analysis. Science And Philosophy -- Materialisms -- Suggestions From Kantism -- Causality And Observational Predictability -- Explanation And Phenomena -- Mind And Things -- Pragmatic-transcendental Versus Veiled Reality Approaches -- Objects And Consciousness -- The Ground Of Things -- Appendix 1: The Bell Theorem -- Appendix 2: Consistent Histories, Counterfactuality, And Bell's Theorem -- Appendix 3: Correlation-at-a-distance In The Broglie-bohm Model. Bernard D'espagnat. Translation Of: Traité De Physique Et De Philosophie. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [485]-491) And Indexes. "On Physics and Philosophy is an accessible, mathematics-free reflection on the philosophical meaning of the quantum revolution, by one of the world's leading authorities on the subject. D'Espagnat presents an objective account of the main guiding principles of contemporary physics - in particular, quantum mechanics - followed by a look at just what consequences these should imply for philosophical thinking."-- BOOK JACKET Review: "On Physics and Philosophy is an accessible, mathematics-free reflection on the philosophical meaning of the quantum revolution, by one of the world's leading authorities on the subject. D'Espagnat presents an objective account of the main guiding principles of contemporary physics - in particular, quantum mechanics - followed by a look at just what consequences these should imply for philosophical thinking." Presents an account of the main guiding principles of contemporary physics - in particular, quantum mechanics. This book describes discoveries in quantum physics such as nonseparability, and explicating the significance of contemporary developments such as decoherence. ADMITTEDLY THE new world-view that soared in the early seventeenth century originated from Copernicus' discovery but it is not to be questioned that the change from Aristotelian to Galilean physics played an essential part in its development.