Leibniz and Modern Physics
Jürgen Jost
We systematically analyze the conceptual structure of modern physics, i.e., the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics and quantum field theory, from the perspective of Leibniz’s three basic principles of identity, sufficient reason and continuity. We find that Leibniz’s way of thinking can still provide insight into fundamental problems of physics, such as the nature of physical constants, the relation between physical invariances and covariant coordinate representations, the role of the Planck scale and quantum mechanical indeterminism and the measurement problem. Leibniz himself could not possess all those insights, simply because physics was not yet sufficiently developed then, but he had already forged some conceptual tools with which some fundamental problems of modern physics can be addressed.
•Jan 11, 2022•0 citations