Show of Hands

Gonna def read this when I’m more awake.

For those who are asking, around the time of the Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution, the study of science, complete with the scientific method, replaced natural philosophy as our means of understanding how the world around us worked. Lots of proponents of rationalism and empiricism, on which this new scientific movement was based, liked to contrast provable science with “unprovable” metaphysics, arguing that science is superior and would replace it. Metaphysics, for reference, is the branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space. More recently, many theories of quantum mechanics seem to be casting doubt on the sharp divide between science and metaphysics.

This question is a quote from a conversation. I in no way meant for it to be “pretentious” or anything like that and I’m legitimately sorry if it annoyed you to see if featured.

- QM

Sounds like someone is just throwing out smart people words to make themselves look like a pretentious douchebag.

What the hell is that question ?

In college I had to take a religion class from a crackpot teacher and watch some wacky video on the subject and this was the exact website that coincided with the video

What?

🤷‍♂️

It wouldn't be metaphysics at that point to...

I was hoping there was a “Huh!?” option to select. Anyone have the Cliff’s Notes version of what this means?

Couldn’t open the link.

Meh. It's one of the standard philosophical arguments in how to interpret quantum mechanics. I don't find it particularly convincing. Whether or not it's right is another matter and one which I can't answer

I think that this statement by QM is kind of profound. From a layman’s perspective, There certainly is a distinction between metaphysics and quantum mechanics. However, the discovery of quantum mechanics has made many physicists unknowingly, and knowingly make use of metaphysics to a certain extent. More so than under Newtonian physics. For instance, Werner Heisenberg even wrote a book titled “Physics and Philosophy” wherein it he argued that quantum mechanics makes use of the Aristotelian doctrine of Hylomorphism to an extent.

Furthermore, if anyone is interested, Nigel Cundy (the person who QM linked in this poll) has written some pretty good stuff about quantum mechanics, Newtonian physics, and their relation to philosophy.


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This poll is inspired by a conversation between me and @MrAmerica about the relationship between quantum mechanics and classical/theistic metaphysics