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Dinesh

Dinesh club

Posted: 24 May 2022

Taken: 24 May 2022

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The Story of Philosophy •
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Einstein

Einstein
SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE IS THE MOST RELIABLE AND USEFUL KNOWLEDGE THAT HUMAN BEINGS POSSESS
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 Dinesh
Dinesh club
The EINSTEINIAN REVOLUTION

Upheavals in modern science have changed our understanding of what knowledge is, and have therefore changed philosophy. Because scientific knowledge is the most practically reliable and useful knowledge that human beings possess, any view of what knowledge itself is, any account of the nature of knowledge as such, has to apply to science if it is to be plausible. In fact for much of the history of Western philosophy investigations into the nature of knowledge have been science-led. This has been especially true during the last four hundred years.

In the 20th century in particular profound changes took place in science, which was found to be something radically different from what had previously been supposed. In physics alone, two great upheavals occurred. Einstein’s theories of relativity superseded traditional science. Then along came quantum theory, which was logically incompatible with relativity theory and yet produced results that were every bit as accurate. It is not possible for both theories to be correct, indeed it is likely that both are incorrect, yet both are in everyday use and give minutely accurate results. This led to the realization that even the best of our knowledge consists of man-made theories that are fallible and corrigible -- theories that we ourselves hope and expect to replace with better theories sooner or later. Human knowledge is fallible precisely because it is human; and we are now challenged with the realization that it does not consist of cast-iron, unchanging certainties, as people use to believe.

Not only have the scientists radically altered our conception of what knowledge is. They have done more than the philosophers of their day to change our understanding of concepts which are utterly fundamental to our experience of the world, concepts such as “time,” “space,” “matter,” and “physical object.” So it may be that when historian in the future look back at our age they will see the path-breaking scientists as having been, in effect, also the path-breaking philosophers, in that it is they who have done the most to change peoples’ philosophical understanding of the world. ` Page 225
23 months ago. Edited 23 months ago.
 Dinesh
Dinesh club
THE STORY OF PHILOSOPHY
23 months ago.

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