Physics and Philosophy - Thoughts on the Implications of Quantum Mechanics, and Other Matters #17

17. Science and philosophy may reclaim the older common ground. In either base or decadent societies, the likelihood is low. Survival promotes the immediate. Instant gratification produces results, but no meaning. Failure is an impedance. Emptiness invites backlash

Physics and Philosophy - Thoughts on the Implications of Quantum Mechanics, and Other Matters #16

16. Philosophy may be used to determine what is science and what is not; it may also degenerate. Certain ridiculous post-modern sociological theories postulate that society creates science.[15] Although science is certainly directed by the values of society, the underlying physical reality is solid. Only in a world where any idiotic opinion is granted some weight, as if there were a right to be stupid, would anyone give credence to meaninglessness. Religion may be boring, but at least it’s not dull. Post Modernism is not even worth the effort of rejecting. What is reality? A gun to the head is reality.

[15] See Impostures Intellectuelles / Fashionable Nonsense by Alan Sokal and Jean Bricmont for further reading.

Physics and Philosophy - Thoughts on the Implications of Quantum Mechanics, and Other Matters #15

15. Meaning has meaning to human beings. Vacuums are uncomfortable. One may plumb and probe, but still not find answers. Certain questions need to be addressed. What explains life? What exactly is consciousness? Perhaps, assuming anyone will be around to do so, these problems will someday be tackled and even solved. Perhaps a few thought experiments might be in order. Unfortunately, such training is basically non-existent. Grant money demands results, not meaning. The path that takes the shortest time is rewarded.

Physics and Philosophy - Thoughts on the Implications of Quantum Mechanics, and Other Matters #14

14. Science will never replace religion. It cannot explain death with facts. Why would anyone want to do so? Authoritarians are found in almost all denominations. The anti-religions have proven no less bloody than their false opposites. The state is a even poorer god than God. The instincts for religion seems inherent in the human herd animal. The soul is not spirit; neither is spirit the soul.

Physics and Philosophy - Thoughts on the Implications of Quantum Mechanics, and Other Matters Section #13

13. Philosophy has also likely lost prominence among scientists due to open hostility towards religion by a vocal minority. This mind set is distinctly positivist in direction. Fundamentalist backlash is an unwelcome obstacle toward scientific advancement. Even agnostics are annoyed by the clamor of those pushing ignorance, and dismayed by the lengths that these sort will go in pushing their agenda. They clearly are not interested in scientific truth. All the same, atheistic scientists can be equally entrenched in their world view. The insecure feel threatened. Who gives a shit? Spirituality is cheapened by talking about it. “I don’t want to hear it.”

Physics and Philosophy - Thoughts on the Implications of Quantum Mechanics, and Other Matters #12ii

12ii. After the Copenhagen Interpretation, philosophical influences became less prominent in physics, to the point where most physicists would probably consider their philosophy, with respect the natural world, as Positivist Reductionist. In other words, the only true knowledge is scientific knowledge, and a complex system is the sum of its parts, and reducible to individual components (or accounted for anyway). However, it is doubtful that most practicing physicists would have bothered to learn enough philosophy to describes themselves as a member of any philosophical school. Philosophy is not a religion; the ignorant can create a poor one. Like any cultural disease vector, dogma can be contagious. When meaning is avoided in favor of facts, some facts may stay hidden.