PHILOSOPHICAL PHYSICS

“Physics.” Say this word in a conversation or bring it up as a topic to talk about and you will completely kill the conversation or people will immediately start walking away. The word strikes fear into the hearts of the average person. Not because it is associated with anything bad. To the contrary, the word refers to basic rules and laws regarding what makes our world and universe work. However, these universal laws and rules have the bad rap of being hard to understand and this is what scares the average person. This is especially true in our world today because of other words associated with the word “Physics.” The words “quantum,” “relativity” and “string theory” are the key words of today’s physics and in the case of these words there are so few people that understand what these things are. Today’s physics has progressed to the point well beyond the level of understanding of today’s average person. 

Is this what nature and our universe intended for us? I for one do not believe so.

How do we address the complexity of today’s physics with respect to the average person of today? One way to do this is to go back to the beginning and look at how things were at the start. In this case the start is with the ancient Greeks about 2,600 years ago.

The word “Physics” in ancient Greek comes from the word “nature” and/or “natural science.” This in turn morphs into the study of nature, and then gives us the meaning we have today which is the science that studies nature and the properties of matter and energy. And, since the word “Physics” comes from the ancient Greeks, there must be some accompanying ancient Greek Physicists. The first Greek Physicist is believed to be Thales of Miletus, (c. 624 BCE – c. 546 BCE). Also in the mix of early physicists are Pythagoras of Samos (c. 570 BCE - c. 495 BCE), known for developing the Pythagorean Theorem, and Aristotle (c. 384 BCE - c. 322 BCE).

There is another factor associated with all three of these ancient Greek Scholars that must also be addressed, and that is they were also some of the first ancient Greek Philosophers. In other words, physics and philosophy both started about 2,600 years ago, and these three scholars are part of the beginning of both of these disciplines. Since these scholars defined physics from its beginning, we should also look at how they and their contemporaries in ancient Greek also defined philosophy in its beginning.

“The love of wisdom” is the general translation of the ancient Greek word for philosophy. In essence, the ancient Greeks were working on understanding the world through their intelligence and by gaining knowledge. They were trying to move away from a world view based on religion and myths. It is important to note that nothing about this view relates to having a thorough understanding of the mathematical concepts and formalism of the physics 2,600 years ago. In today’s world the philosophical undertaking for what we are discussing is the connection of human thought and the basic workings of the universe we live in.  Again, there is nothing in the current view of philosophy that requires a working knowledge of complex mathematical concepts and formalism of any of today’s sciences. Rather, it is our own thoughts on the basic workings of our universe.    

Fast forward around 2,000 years to another philosophical principle from the 14th century, “Occam’s Razor.” The current general interpretation of this principle is that if there is more than one solution to a problem the simplest solution is most likely the correct solution. Another title for Occam’s Razor is Occam’s Principle, which it is important to note, is a philosophical principle and not a scientific principle. According to this Occam’s Principle if there is an incident/event that has two solutions/explanations, the one with the least amount of assumptions is most likely the correct solution/explanation. Stated another way, the greater the complexity of a solution/explanation, the greater the probability the solution/explanation is incorrect.

Around 1830 - 1840 Occam’s Razor led to the Law or Principle of Parsimony. In essence the Principle of Parsimony says that a theory should be the most economical or simplest explanation of an event or phenomenon. It has also been said that Parsimony suggests that a theory should be natural and have an aesthetic quality. Considering today’s physics with the Law of Parsimony indicates that Quantum Physics, String Theory and, to some extent, maybe even Relativity should be simpler and more natural. In other words, saying the word “Physics” should not be sudden death for a conversation or gathering.

Even though Occam’s Razor and the Law of Parsimony are recognized as philosophical principles, there is nothing that states they cannot also be applied to theories in physics.

I am reminded of a quote an old friend of mine used to say, “I am not a weatherman but I can still tell you when it is raining.” By extension, it is possible for anyone to say, “I am not a physicist, but I can still question things that don’t make sense.” I believe that we owe it to ourselves to question today’s physics. This is not to say that today’s physics is wrong, rather it is to question it to make sure that it is at least partially right and in its simplest form.