Physics and Philosophy by Sir James H. Jeans (PDF)

Description

“There is no more eloquent, interesting or persuasive exposition of what may be called science of philosophy than Sir James Jeans’s.” — The New York TimesCan we have any knowledge of the world outside us other than we gain by the methods of science? Are we humans endowed with free will, or are we mere cogs in a vast machine that must follow its predestined course until it finally runs down? Is the world we perceive the world of ultimate reality, or is it only a curtain veiling a deeper reality beyond?In this strikingly lucid and often poetic book, one of the twentieth century’s greatest scientists grapples with these age-old questions, achieving in the process a brilliant and non-technical exposition of the interrelationship between physics and philosophy. He begins by defining physics and philosophy, pointing out the difference in their respective attempts to explain physical reality and man’s place in it. This discussion paves the way for an outline of epistemological methods in which the rationalism of thinkers like Descartes, Leibniz, and Kant is compared to the empiricism of Locke and Hume.Over the course of the book, in a manner that is careful and methodic but never dull, Jeans marshals the evidence for his startling conclusion: recent discoveries in astronomy, mathematics, sub-atomic physics, and other disciplines have washed away the scientific basis of many older philosophic discussions. Such long-standing problems as causality, free will and determinism, the nature of space and time, materialism and mentalism must be considered anew in the light of new knowledge and information attained by twentieth-century physical science. Even then, however, Jeans cautions against drawing any positive conclusions, pointing out that both physics and philosophy are both relatively young and that we are still in Newton’s words, like children playing with pebbles on the sea-shore, while the great ocean of truth rolls, unexplored, beyond our reach.Although first published in 1943, nothing in physics has happened to affect Jeans’s account in this book; it remains remarkably fresh and undated, a classic exposition of the philosophical implications of scientific knowledge.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐A breath of fresh air. Cuts through the nonsense of many philosophers and scientists to make a very simple point that ultimately reality is affected by the observer. Great philosophers including Kant are shown to succumb to erroneous thoughts by assuming their minds were infallible

⭐It is very humbling to realize this book was written before I was born.I so wish I had read this book when I was in my 20’s, when I first heard his amazing ” The universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine.” Brilliant thinker, giving us a gift.

⭐This book is as timely now as when it was first published in 1944. It presents a brilliant summary of what modern physics does and does not say about the nature of the universe in which we exist, in the context of the historical development of physics and the corresponding developments in philosophy. Even better, it is written using language that is accessible to anyone, whether or not they have a background in science. It does not contain any mathematics, and no mathematical background is required in order to understand it.I wish I had read this book 20 years ago; it would have given focus to my ponderings about the nature of reality, time and mind.

⭐Although it is a bit dated now, and suffers from Jeans’s personal rivalry with Eddington, the book must we well-rated, since it is the only introduction on physics and philosophy that I know of which is understandable to someone who is neither a physicist nor a philosopher.

⭐Classic book by a great physicist. I am looking forward to reading it again. Not just for a physicist. He will make you think how science has effected philosophy.

⭐Sir James jeans was an extraordinary scientist and educator. His philosophical discussions are well worth reading. However, they focus on struggles that were central in an earlier time.

⭐great

⭐A book necessary for everyone, who quests vigorously ,to study.: One finds roots to rudiments in this dense, authoratative, but readable text.

⭐great book, a classic!

⭐Very concise and easy to read

⭐It is a remarkable book by one of the greatest scientists .A good experience.

⭐Gives a new perspective on Philosophy

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