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Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 December 2009

Jan Hilgevoord
Affiliation:
Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Summary

Until quite recently physicists rarely speculated about relations between the laws of fundamental physics, the physics of elementary particles and the Universe, and our existence on earth as conscious beings. They admitted that no physical reason for our existence was known, and that man was an alien in the physical world, but they did not perceive any conflict between our existence and the basic laws of physics.

A first attempt to connect humankind and elementary particle physics was Fritjof Capra's The Tao of Physics (1975). In this book Capra tried to relate the so-called ‘bootstrap’ theory of elementary particles to Eastern mysticism by pointing to similarities between the picture that bootstrap physics gives of the behaviour of elementary particles and the utterances of certain Eastern mystics. To Capra these similarities suggested a deep analogy between the world at the level of elementary particles and the world of personal experience. Such a relation would lessen the deplorable alienation of advanced abstract physics from what can be directly and personally experienced.

The Tao of Physics was a great success. The book was welcomed by supporters of holism and of the New Age Movement. It has been translated into many languages and has been followed by related books by Capra and others, but it was conspicuously ignored by the physicists, who found it at best wishful thinking and a lot of nonsense and at worst pure deception.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1994

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  • Introduction
  • Edited by Jan Hilgevoord, Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • Book: Physics and our View of the World
  • Online publication: 04 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511622823.002
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  • Introduction
  • Edited by Jan Hilgevoord, Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • Book: Physics and our View of the World
  • Online publication: 04 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511622823.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Edited by Jan Hilgevoord, Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • Book: Physics and our View of the World
  • Online publication: 04 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511622823.002
Available formats
×