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idealism vs materialism



One of the philosophy professors here stopped by my office the other day to
ask if physicists are starting to deny materialism (in the philosophical
sense). I probed and asked him to send me the passage in question from the
latest edition of the book he's using in PHIL 101 now. Here it is:

-----begin quote------
As a result (of the indeterminable state of particles), many scientists,
including Heisenberg, believe that we may live in an idealistic universe,
one whose reality may depend on the mind. Their views find some
support in the unified field theories of contemporary scientists such as
Kip Thorne. When electromagnetic and gravitational theories are
synthesized, matter disappears entirely, leaving only "field."
-----end quote------

He was surprised by this paragraph and I said I'd ask the august PHYS-L to
opine. Please think philosophically so your response will be in his
language. Are we (still?) materialists?

Thanks,
Larry