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Dialectical Materialism and Quantum Physics: The Unpublished 1957 Lectures of David Bohm in Israel

Hanoch Gutfreund, Jürgen Renn

Published Jan 1, 2025• 0 citations
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Abstract

This is the story of David Bohm's hitherto unpublished notes, uncovered from a series of lectures given in Israel in 1957 to a group of Marxist physicists from the Hashomer Hatsair (young guard) movement. The notes explore quantum theory and dialectical materialism, as well as shedding light on the intellectual and emotional resources of his persistent rebellion against orthodoxies in science. The discussion places his lectures notes in a wider historical, scientific, and philosophical context and traces Bohm's intellectual development from an early attempt to better understand the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics to his elaboration of an alternative causal interpretation based on the notion of "hidden variables." As the lecture notes strikingly illustrate, dialectical materialism played a fundamental role for the further development of his understanding of quantum mechanics. Bohm placed the notions of infinity of nature and the unity of opposites in the center of his natural philosophy, drawing from the works of Hegel, Marx, Engels, and Lenin. The authors also examine Bohm's legacy in the history of quantum mechanics and his contribution to preparing the "second quantum revolution." Bohm's engagement with dialectical materialism and his role as a dissident to the orthodox interpretation of quantum mechanics were pivotal in bringing about the novel insights and technologies associated with this second quantum revolution. During the 1960s, Bohm developed a growing interest in the nature of consciousness and engaged with the philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. In spite of a seemingly fundamental break with earlier philosophical positions, this new phase in Bohm's intellectual odyssey was not completely unrelated to his fascination with and deep understanding of Hegel's philosophy, which the lecture notes amply document for the first time.

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Dialectical Materialism and Quantum Physics

Hanoch Gutfreund, Jürgen Renn

Abstract This book tells the story of Bohm’s hitherto unpublished lecture notes on quantum theory and dialectical materialism. It places his lecture notes in a wider historical, scientific, and philosophical context and traces Bohm’s intellectual development from an early attempt to better understand the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics to his elaboration of an alternative causal interpretation based on the notion of “hidden variables.” As the lecture notes strikingly illustrate, dialectical materialism played a fundamental role in the further development of his understanding of quantum mechanics. Bohm placed the notions of the infinity of nature and the unity of opposites at the center of his natural philosophy, drawing from the works of Hegel, Marx, Engels, and Lenin. The book also examines Bohm’s legacy in the history of quantum mechanics and his contribution to preparing the “second quantum revolution.” Bohm’s engagement with dialectical materialism and his role as a dissident from the orthodox interpretation of quantum mechanics were pivotal in bringing about the novel insights and technologies associated with this second quantum revolution. During the 1960s, Bohm developed a growing interest in the nature of consciousness and engaged with the philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. But this new phase in Bohm’s intellectual odyssey was, in spite of a seemingly fundamental break with earlier philosophical positions, not completely unrelated to his fascination with, and deep understanding of, Hegel’s philosophy, which the lecture notes amply document for the first time.

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Bohm’s legacy

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Abstract This chapter examines Bohm’s legacy. It shows how Bohm’s criticism of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, based on his philosophical reflections within the framework of dialectical materialism, is echoed in the approach of John Bell and others, who have driven the second quantum revolution to its current success, honored by the Physics Nobel Prize in 2022. It is argued that the lecture notes shed an unexpected light on the intellectual resources of Bohm’s persistent rebellion against orthodoxies in science, which secured him a unique role in the history of quantum theory. The last section is devoted to a new phase in Bohm’s thinking in the 1960s, when he turned away from Marxism and developed a growing interest in the nature of consciousness and engaged with the Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti, continuing his quest for an understanding of “wholeness,” the theme of his life.

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Setting the stage

Hanoch Gutfreund, Jürgen Renn

Abstract This chapter outlines Bohm’s intellectual development leading to the lectures delivered in Israel. An attempt to understand the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics led him to a new, “causal” explanation based on the notion of “hidden variables.” This development was accompanied by extensive correspondence with another quantum dissident, Albert Einstein, which is also discussed in this part. This discussion is followed by a section exploring his deepening interest in the philosophical aspects of scientific theories, leading to a revision of his earlier views and to his book Causality and Chance in Modern Physics. The next section reexamines the exchanges at the 1957 Colston Conference, which brought together physicists and philosophers of science, representing a turning point in the way foundational issues were treated by the quantum community. It then investigates in some detail what inspired Bohm to interpret quantum theory in the context of dialectical materialism.

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Lecture Notes (LN)

Hanoch Gutfreund, Jürgen Renn

Abstract This chapter presents Bohm’s 1957 lectures notes in a careful transcription, indicating the original page breaks and reproducing the figures of the original typescript. The lecture notes begin with a dialectical interpretation of the unity of opposites, like discrete and continuous properties, or wave and particle concepts, followed by a detailed description of the Heisenberg-Bohr (Copenhagen) interpretation of quantum mechanics. The latter is explained and criticized, featuring the introduction of Bohm’s notion of a subquantum level as a viable alternative. Bohm sees this alternative in the context of his notion of the infinity of nature, encouraging researchers to transcend the boundaries of established theories. The second part of the lecture notes deals with more general philosophical issues related to scientific theories in light of the cornerstone principles of Hegel’s dialectical philosophy in its materialistic version.

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Abstract This is devoted to detailed commentaries on Bohm’s lectures. The primary aim of these commentaries is to demonstrate how dialectical materialism acted as a new perspective on Bohm’s understanding of the meaning of quantum mechanics and as the foundation for a comprehensive interpretation of science and human understanding of nature in general. The commentaries address all the main topics discussed in Bohm’s lectures, emphasizing their roots in the contemporary discussion about the foundations of quantum theory, in Hegel’s dialectical philosophy, and in dialectical materialism, as well as in current scientific debates—for example, about the foundations of mathematics. The comments summarize Bohm’s long and sometimes convoluted discussions to highlight the key points, occasionally connecting them to the broader scientific and philosophical discourse. The comments also provide missing references and identify novel topics and arguments presented in these lectures, in comparison with those found in Causality and Chance in Modern Physics.

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Dialectical Materialism and the Construction of a New Quantum Theory: David Joseph Bohm, 1917–1992

Christian Forstner

In 1951, David Bohm created a realistic interpretation of quantum theory.His theory stood in contradiction to the hegemonic standard interpretation of quantum mechanics, in which the quantum mechanical wave function describes a purely mathematical probability amplitude.Bohm's worldview, based on dialectical materialism, contributed substantially to the construction of new physical entities in his theory and led him to work intensively on the philosophy of science.His example shows that the ideology and political attitude of a physicist can play a major role in the construction of scientific theories and entities, with the important reservation that a change in social context was the necessary impulse for Bohm's work.

•Jan 1, 2005•2 citations
This is the story of David Bohm's hitherto unpublished notes, uncovered from a series of lectures given in Israel in 1957 to a group of Marxist physicists from the Hashomer Hatsair (young guard) movement. The notes explore quantum theory and dialectical materialism, as well as shedding light on the intellectual and emotional resources of his persistent rebellion against orthodoxies in science. The discussion places his lectures notes in a wider historical, scientific, and philosophical context and traces Bohm's intellectual development from an early attempt to better understand the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics to his elaboration of an alternative causal interpretation based on the notion of "hidden variables." As the lecture notes strikingly illustrate, dialectical materialism played a fundamental role for the further development of his understanding of quantum mechanics. Bohm placed the notions of infinity of nature and the unity of opposites in the center of his natural philosophy, drawing from the works of Hegel, Marx, Engels, and Lenin. The authors also examine Bohm's legacy in the history of quantum mechanics and his contribution to preparing the "second quantum revolution." Bohm's engagement with dialectical materialism and his role as a dissident to the orthodox interpretation of quantum mechanics were pivotal in bringing about the novel insights and technologies associated with this second quantum revolution. During the 1960s, Bohm developed a growing interest in the nature of consciousness and engaged with the philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. In spite of a seemingly fundamental break with earlier philosophical positions, this new phase in Bohm's intellectual odyssey was not completely unrelated to his fascination with and deep understanding of Hegel's philosophy, which the lecture notes amply document for the first time.
Abstract This book tells the story of Bohm’s hitherto unpublished lecture notes on quantum theory and dialectical materialism. It places his lecture notes in a wider historical, scientific, and philosophical context and traces Bohm’s intellectual development from an early attempt to better understand the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics to his elaboration of an alternative causal interpretation based on the notion of “hidden variables.” As the lecture notes strikingly illustrate, dialectical materialism played a fundamental role in the further development of his understanding of quantum mechanics. Bohm placed the notions of the infinity of nature and the unity of opposites at the center of his natural philosophy, drawing from the works of Hegel, Marx, Engels, and Lenin. The book also examines Bohm’s legacy in the history of quantum mechanics and his contribution to preparing the “second quantum revolution.” Bohm’s engagement with dialectical materialism and his role as a dissident from the orthodox interpretation of quantum mechanics were pivotal in bringing about the novel insights and technologies associated with this second quantum revolution. During the 1960s, Bohm developed a growing interest in the nature of consciousness and engaged with the philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. But this new phase in Bohm’s intellectual odyssey was, in spite of a seemingly fundamental break with earlier philosophical positions, not completely unrelated to his fascination with, and deep understanding of, Hegel’s philosophy, which the lecture notes amply document for the first time.
Abstract This chapter examines Bohm’s legacy. It shows how Bohm’s criticism of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, based on his philosophical reflections within the framework of dialectical materialism, is echoed in the approach of John Bell and others, who have driven the second quantum revolution to its current success, honored by the Physics Nobel Prize in 2022. It is argued that the lecture notes shed an unexpected light on the intellectual resources of Bohm’s persistent rebellion against orthodoxies in science, which secured him a unique role in the history of quantum theory. The last section is devoted to a new phase in Bohm’s thinking in the 1960s, when he turned away from Marxism and developed a growing interest in the nature of consciousness and engaged with the Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti, continuing his quest for an understanding of “wholeness,” the theme of his life.
Abstract This chapter outlines Bohm’s intellectual development leading to the lectures delivered in Israel. An attempt to understand the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics led him to a new, “causal” explanation based on the notion of “hidden variables.” This development was accompanied by extensive correspondence with another quantum dissident, Albert Einstein, which is also discussed in this part. This discussion is followed by a section exploring his deepening interest in the philosophical aspects of scientific theories, leading to a revision of his earlier views and to his book Causality and Chance in Modern Physics. The next section reexamines the exchanges at the 1957 Colston Conference, which brought together physicists and philosophers of science, representing a turning point in the way foundational issues were treated by the quantum community. It then investigates in some detail what inspired Bohm to interpret quantum theory in the context of dialectical materialism.
Abstract This chapter presents Bohm’s 1957 lectures notes in a careful transcription, indicating the original page breaks and reproducing the figures of the original typescript. The lecture notes begin with a dialectical interpretation of the unity of opposites, like discrete and continuous properties, or wave and particle concepts, followed by a detailed description of the Heisenberg-Bohr (Copenhagen) interpretation of quantum mechanics. The latter is explained and criticized, featuring the introduction of Bohm’s notion of a subquantum level as a viable alternative. Bohm sees this alternative in the context of his notion of the infinity of nature, encouraging researchers to transcend the boundaries of established theories. The second part of the lecture notes deals with more general philosophical issues related to scientific theories in light of the cornerstone principles of Hegel’s dialectical philosophy in its materialistic version.
Abstract This is devoted to detailed commentaries on Bohm’s lectures. The primary aim of these commentaries is to demonstrate how dialectical materialism acted as a new perspective on Bohm’s understanding of the meaning of quantum mechanics and as the foundation for a comprehensive interpretation of science and human understanding of nature in general. The commentaries address all the main topics discussed in Bohm’s lectures, emphasizing their roots in the contemporary discussion about the foundations of quantum theory, in Hegel’s dialectical philosophy, and in dialectical materialism, as well as in current scientific debates—for example, about the foundations of mathematics. The comments summarize Bohm’s long and sometimes convoluted discussions to highlight the key points, occasionally connecting them to the broader scientific and philosophical discourse. The comments also provide missing references and identify novel topics and arguments presented in these lectures, in comparison with those found in Causality and Chance in Modern Physics.
In 1951, David Bohm created a realistic interpretation of quantum theory.His theory stood in contradiction to the hegemonic standard interpretation of quantum mechanics, in which the quantum mechanical wave function describes a purely mathematical probability amplitude.Bohm's worldview, based on dialectical materialism, contributed substantially to the construction of new physical entities in his theory and led him to work intensively on the philosophy of science.His example shows that the ideology and political attitude of a physicist can play a major role in the construction of scientific theories and entities, with the important reservation that a change in social context was the necessary impulse for Bohm's work.