Holism in the New Physics

Journal for general philosophy of science, 1999

The aim of this paper is to contribute to a more balanced judgement than the widespread impression that the changes which are called for in today's philosophy of physics and which centre around the concept of holism amount to a rupture with the framework of Cartesian philosophy of physics. I argue that this framework includes a sort of holism: As a result of the identification of matter with space, any physical property can be instantiated only if there is the whole of matter. Relating this holism to general relativity, I maintain that this holism cannot be directly applied to today's philosophy of physics consequent upon the failure of geometrodynamics. I show in what respect precisely the holism in quantum physics amounts to a revision of the holism within Cartesianism.

Philosophia, 2019

The contemporary scientific and technological progress builds on the accomplishments of classical mechanics from the 19th century when the so-called 'European scientific method and values' were accepted practically by the whole educated world. Most scientific results and conclusions were reached based on the causal ontological approach proposed in principle already by Plato's Socrates and developed further by Aristotle. Despite the late-modern paradigm shift in science (Galilei, Newton, etc.), the topicality of the ontological approach proposed by Aristotle (II. Analytics) remains. On the other hand, 19th and 20th century philosophers, mainly positivists such as Mach and Avenarius but also Schlick and Carnap, attempted to change this approach to unify scientific knowledge in accordance with an ideological, i.e. positivist outlook on reality. The authors place a special emphasis on the contribution of Rudolf Carnap and his interaction with Martin Heidegger. Three very different theories are applied to physical reality in the present: classical mechanics in the standard macroscopic realm, Copenhagen quantum mechanics in the microscopic realm, and special theory of reality in both realms in the case of systems consisting of objects having higher velocity values. Any explanation or description of transitions between different realms and theories had not been provided until now. Our paper describes the corresponding evolution in the modern period and identifies the underlying false philosophical assumptions and statements existing in today's scientific systems. We will then demonstrate that one common theory for all realms of reality may exist; one that will be based fully on Hamilton equations (only the law of force of Newton is to be generalized). Only time change of particle impulse (not directly acceleration) is to be determined by a corresponding force. All necessary characteristics of physical reality may be derived in such a case. Direct correlations of such physical approach to philosophy (ontology) will be drawn.

Cambridge History of Philosophy of the Scientific Revolution, 2022

Cosmos and history: the journal of natural and social philosophy, 2015

We are drawn to physics by our desire to understand the most fundamental physical entities and processes of the Cosmos, from which all complexity evolves. However, the foundational models we are using, Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, were not created for this purpose. They confine inquiry to the description and prediction of the observer’s experiences and measurements. Not understanding these models’ limitations, physicists misinterpret and misapply them in their attempts to explain phenomena, producing confusion. The recent discoveries of black holes and the galaxial rotation and recession anomalies have highlighted the need for a new approach. Theoretical physics must become space physics—the study of space and its causal role in all fundamental phenomena including particle formation gravity, inertia, and electromagnetism. To replace Newtonian Mechanics and Relativity we need only identify the position and motion of the space that causes the effects that they describe. Gravity t...

This essay attempts to analyze the impact of continuing to tolerate the Warrior Values in an era of Advanced Technology that has been promoted by two of the oldest intellectual subjects for over 2500 years: mathematics and philosophy. The thesis of this essay is that science will only renew its progress after its cuts off these historic roots and adopts more positive goals oriented to Helping Humanity, instead of pursuing its religiously inspired search for truth and certainty. Physics is the oldest science and the one that set the pattern for most of the others, it has been mostly related to mathematics and has become the one with the largest number of specialties​. Therefore, physics has been separated off from the rest of the sciences in this essay and all the others have been given a parallel essay, called ORG-SCIENCE. This analysis is structured by exploring the history of the major advances in physics since 1600 in terms of innovators, concepts, underlying mathematics and the major problems exposed by these advances. This analysis is made from a Natural Philosophy perspective because the thesis here is that the problems arose from weak metaphysical assumptions that can be traced back to Aristotle, 2500 years ago. The problem seems to be related to the specialization of western intellectuals: few philosophers have been real, practicing scientists (doing it, not just reading about it), while most scientists have little knowledge of philosophy; so a dangerous chasm has developed in these two aspects of our mental world. Here we deliberately position most mathematicians with the philosophers as their work also rarely involves direct experience with reality. There are a few exceptions, like C.S. Pierce (professional chemist before turning to philosophy); Einstein was a theoretical physicist, who mainly worked as a mathematician but had an ongoing interest in philosophy. Even the great scientists like Newton and Maxwell, who sometimes performed hands-on physics research, really had personal obsessions with religion more than philosophy. Most philosophers simply desire to know and as talkers, they are prepared to write but few are ready to really do something useful with their hands; just as it was in Athens 2500 years ago. Rejecting the traditional form of discursive (or linear) thinking, the basis for ‘Rationality’ (or Reason), we attempt to ground this analysis in non-linear, complex networks – possibly reflecting how ideas are actually stored in our own minds. This viewpoint is used to create a new metaphysics based on recent knowledge gained from biological research to create new proposals to adequately explain the major pillars in the history of physics. The linear approximation is the underlying assumption behind the usage of calculus; in fact, mathematical Analysis is justified by the use of infinitesimal (the divisor going to zero) and its inverse technique of Integration. In fact, there has been a permanent alliance between Philosophers and Mathematicians ever since Plato insisted that the students at his Academy be familiar with Pythagoras’s ideas. Both groups desired the simplicity of examining timeless objects (definitions and rules); the spatial (static) emphasis rather than the dynamic features of living systems. Physics has adopted a similar viewpoint by accepting Lagrange’s mathematical trick of replacing dynamic interactions with the spatial derivative of a spatial, continuous function – the Potential. We illustrate this thesis by quickly summarizing all of the science of physics, in terms of its history in 4 phases (or Scientific Revolutions); pointing out their key personalities (mostly mathematicians) and achievements. We also point out their major conceptual problems to expose their common roots. We finally follow a modern path based on knowledge of biology and history. This exposes several of the deep flaws in physics that few physicists are aware of. We suggest new approaches based on novel ideas in psychology and neuroscience​. This essay may be viewed as a brief critique of the undeserved reputation of physics in the modern world by a weary Natural Philosopher.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 2004

Holistic features figure prominently in many of the hard problems concerning the ontological foundations of modern physics. Entanglement, non-separability and the non-locality arising in the EPR-Bell correlations, the non-individuality of particlesall these prominent features of quantum theory cast doubt on the common view of the world as consisting of localized, individual and independently existing substances. These issues, in particular the notion of non-separability, all relate to the concept of holism . Moreover, the issue of holism arises not only in the philosophy of quantum physics. Certain aspects of general relativity-in connection with its non-linear field equations and the nonlocalizability of gravitational energy-have to be taken into account as well along with the characteristic features of gauge theories, where apparently holistic entities like holonomies play a fundamental role.

Written from a very untutored and limited viewpoint in terms of physics and mathematics, this essay ventures some thoughts that should therefore be regarded as only very tentative. Especially as they address a long established idea that sits right at the heart of the scientific discipline of physics. This is the idea of naturally moving reference systems, a notion closely linked to the classical principles of both inertia and relativity. Such inertial reference systems played a key role in some thought experiments published over a century ago, by Albert Einstein. It is a critical

In this paper, the substance of gravity and inertial forces is debunked. The substance of mass is recovered. The nature of time in physics is revealed. The reality of the double-slit experiment is revealed. This paper shows that Quarks and Higgs boson hardly exist. This paper documents that, for past four hundred years, there is no distinguished physicist who would not have recognized the existence of the ether. It shows that filling the space of the Universe with swirling ether is all that is needed for the self-evolution of the Universe. It further provides an overview of the opposition of the physicists against the mainstream physical image of the world for the past hundred years. And finally, it documents the basic historical, philosophical and physical reasons for denial of the main physical theories of the 20th century.

This is the editors' introduction to a new anthology of commissioned articles covering the various branches of philosophy of physics. We introduce the articles in terms of the three pillars of modern physics: relativity theory, quantum theory and thermal physics. We end by discussing the present state, and future prospects, of fundamental physics.

Journal of Interdisciplinary Economics, 1994