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Dialectical Materialism and Quantum Physics

Hanoch Gutfreund, Jürgen Renn

Published Oct 3, 2025• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract This book tells the story of Bohm’s hitherto unpublished lecture notes on quantum theory and dialectical materialism.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.

DOI
10.1093/9780198945925.001.0001

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Dialectical Materialism and Quantum Physics: The Unpublished 1957 Lectures of David Bohm in Israel

Hanoch Gutfreund, Jürgen Renn

This is the story of David Bohm's hitherto unpublished notes, uncovered from a series of lectures given in Israel in 1957 to a group of Marxist physicists from the Hashomer Hatsair (young guard) movement.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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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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Commentaries on Bohm’s lectures

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Lecture Notes (LN)

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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 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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Esoteric quantization : the esoteric imagination in David Bohm's interpretation of quantum mechanics

Gustavo Orlando Fernandez

This thesis aims to explore the relationship between the science, the philosophy and the esoteric imagination of the American physicist David Bohm (1917-1992). Bohm is recognized as one of the most brilliant physicists of his generation. He is famous for his ‘hidden variables’ interpretation of quantum mechanics. Bohm wrote extensively on philosophical and psychological subjects. In his celebrated book Wholeness and the Implicate Order (1882) he introduced the influential ideas of the Explicate and the Implicate orders that are at the core of his process philosophy. Bohm was also a very close disciple of the Indian teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986), whom he recognized to have had an important influence on his thought. Chapter 1 is a general explanation of what I intend to do, why my research is filling an important gap, introduce the field of Western esotericism as a scholarly subject and suggesting that it offers a fruitful way of approaching the thought of David Bohm. I also explain my research principles and a brief description of the philosophical standpoint from which I am approaching the material. Chapter 2 gives a description of the textual sources I used in my research. This is followed by a comprehensive literature review. Chapter 3 is a biographical essay where I give an account of Bohm’s life, career, works, major ideas and their development, stressing their significance for the development of Bohm’s holistic philosophy and his interactions with the esoteric. This chapter is an introduction to the main ideas of the dissertation. Chapter 4 revisits the genesis of the Causal Interpretation, Bohm’s first attempt to deal with the interpretation of quantum mechanics. I make emphasis on the philosophical developments that gave rise to it. I introduce all the relevant physics and give a detailed explanation of the problem of interpretation and Bohm’s first proposal. Chapter 5 is about the philosophical developments in Bohm’s thought brought by the Causal Interpretation. In particular I examine the influence that G. W. F. Hegel (1770-1831) had on Bohm’s thought and explain why I take the view that this is an esoteric influence. Chapter 6 reviews the developments in Bohm’s thought during the 1960’s. I describe Bohm’s search for radically new concepts in physics and his exchanges with several thinkers ending with his encounter with Jiddu Krishnamurti. Chapters 7 and 8 are devoted to the study of Bohm’s philosophy as he elaborated it after 1960. Chapter 7 concentrates on the idea of the Implicate Order and it also studies the Ontological Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, Bohm’s last version of his interpretation effort, which is based on the Implicate Order. In chapter 8 I examine Bohm’s theory of how the mind and the body are connected through a ladder of consciousness formed by a series of Explicate and Implicate Orders, and finishes with an exposition of Bohm’s dialogue technique. In the last chapter I summarize my conclusions. An appendix is included with a brief overview of Bohm’s legacy. All the relevant details about the esoteric currents that Bohm encountered during his life and that are required to understand our argument are introduced as they are needed throughout the main body of the text.

•Jan 15, 2016•0 citations
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.
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 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 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.
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 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.
This thesis aims to explore the relationship between the science, the philosophy and the esoteric imagination of the American physicist David Bohm (1917-1992). Bohm is recognized as one of the most brilliant physicists of his generation. He is famous for his ‘hidden variables’ interpretation of quantum mechanics. Bohm wrote extensively on philosophical and psychological subjects. In his celebrated book Wholeness and the Implicate Order (1882) he introduced the influential ideas of the Explicate and the Implicate orders that are at the core of his process philosophy. Bohm was also a very close disciple of the Indian teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986), whom he recognized to have had an important influence on his thought. Chapter 1 is a general explanation of what I intend to do, why my research is filling an important gap, introduce the field of Western esotericism as a scholarly subject and suggesting that it offers a fruitful way of approaching the thought of David Bohm. I also explain my research principles and a brief description of the philosophical standpoint from which I am approaching the material. Chapter 2 gives a description of the textual sources I used in my research. This is followed by a comprehensive literature review. Chapter 3 is a biographical essay where I give an account of Bohm’s life, career, works, major ideas and their development, stressing their significance for the development of Bohm’s holistic philosophy and his interactions with the esoteric. This chapter is an introduction to the main ideas of the dissertation. Chapter 4 revisits the genesis of the Causal Interpretation, Bohm’s first attempt to deal with the interpretation of quantum mechanics. I make emphasis on the philosophical developments that gave rise to it. I introduce all the relevant physics and give a detailed explanation of the problem of interpretation and Bohm’s first proposal. Chapter 5 is about the philosophical developments in Bohm’s thought brought by the Causal Interpretation. In particular I examine the influence that G. W. F. Hegel (1770-1831) had on Bohm’s thought and explain why I take the view that this is an esoteric influence. Chapter 6 reviews the developments in Bohm’s thought during the 1960’s. I describe Bohm’s search for radically new concepts in physics and his exchanges with several thinkers ending with his encounter with Jiddu Krishnamurti. Chapters 7 and 8 are devoted to the study of Bohm’s philosophy as he elaborated it after 1960. Chapter 7 concentrates on the idea of the Implicate Order and it also studies the Ontological Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, Bohm’s last version of his interpretation effort, which is based on the Implicate Order. In chapter 8 I examine Bohm’s theory of how the mind and the body are connected through a ladder of consciousness formed by a series of Explicate and Implicate Orders, and finishes with an exposition of Bohm’s dialogue technique. In the last chapter I summarize my conclusions. An appendix is included with a brief overview of Bohm’s legacy. All the relevant details about the esoteric currents that Bohm encountered during his life and that are required to understand our argument are introduced as they are needed throughout the main body of the text.