Re: idealism vs materialism

[John Clement <clement@HAL-PC.ORG>]

I think that this is a case where the non physicists have written things
that don't make sense in the context of physics.  Material does not have to
be "matter" so a field can be just as material as solid matter.  Most
physicists I think would agree that what we do is construct models of what
we observe in nature.  As such the electric field lines, invented long
before quantum theory, have as much reality in our models as cold hard
matter.

Remember that relativity theory has been castigated by various authors
because it means that everything is relative.  The authors of these
accusations never realized that it is just as bounded as any other physical
theory.  I wonder what those authors would think of the anthropic principle.

I wonder if the author of the passage had credentials in physics as well as
in philosophy.  Since the advent of FCI/FMCE testing and attitude tests such
as the MPEX or NOS data it has become abundantly clear that non physicists
do not generally understand NTNs laws let alone quantum theory or even the
nature of science.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


> -----Original Message-----
> From: phys-l@lists.nau.edu: Forum for Physics Educators
> [mailto:PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu]On Behalf Of Larry Smith
> Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2002 6:37 PM
> To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
> Subject: 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