This volume offers a foundational critique of the structural crises introduced to traditional metaphysics by twentieth-century physics. Moving beyond standard interpretations of quantum mechanics, the work argues that contemporary scientific developments necessitate a radical re-evaluation of classical ontology, localized cause-and-effect models, and the boundaries of physical reality. The text traces the historical intersection of classical physics and Western philosophy, examining how spatial certainty and localized causal assumptions became embedded in early scientific frameworks. It deconstructs the foundational experiments that dismantled classical spacetime models, framing Einsteinian relativity and the observer paradox as physical disruptions which are unaccounted for in classical physics philosophy. The analysis looks into some basic mathematics and mechanics of subatomic entanglement to argue that quantum non-locality undermines the notion of any possibility of isolated physical units or replacing localized systems with an ontological web of interconnectedness. Finally, the work examines the ongoing theoretical friction between quantum mechanics and general relativity, demonstrating how structural breakdowns at the Planck scale force a complete reassessment of physical and philosophical boundaries. By juxtaposing these novel discoveries with centuries of philosophical tradition, the study establishes an abyssal footing for physical reality—in that hope that uprooting classical traditions in science and philosophy might prepare an opening for thinking about a radically different framework for ethics and our relation to the Other.
This volume offers a foundational critique of the structural crises introduced to traditional metaphysics by twentieth-century physics. Moving beyond standard interpretations of quantum mechanics, the work argues that contemporary scientific developments necessitate a radical re-evaluation of classical ontology, localized cause-and-effect models, and the boundaries of physical reality. The text traces the historical intersection of classical physics and Western philosophy, examining how spatial certainty and localized causal assumptions became embedded in early scientific frameworks. It deconstructs the foundational experiments that dismantled classical spacetime models, framing Einsteinian relativity and the observer paradox as physical disruptions which are unaccounted for in classical physics philosophy. The analysis looks into some basic mathematics and mechanics of subatomic entanglement to argue that quantum non-locality undermines the notion of any possibility of isolated physical units or replacing localized systems with an ontological web of interconnectedness. Finally, the work examines the ongoing theoretical friction between quantum mechanics and general relativity, demonstrating how structural breakdowns at the Planck scale force a complete reassessment of physical and philosophical boundaries. By juxtaposing these novel discoveries with centuries of philosophical tradition, the study establishes an abyssal footing for physical reality—in that hope that uprooting classical traditions in science and philosophy might prepare an opening for thinking about a radically different framework for ethics and our relation to the Other.
This volume deepens the interrogation of contemporary physics and its metaphysical underpinnings by examining the structural breaking points in classical cosmology, multi-dimensional string landscapes, and advanced computational architectures. The work argues that conventional macro-level assumptions of reality fail when confronted with quantum probability and chaos theory, necessitating a radical re-evaluation of what is meant by reality. The inquiry explores geometry, spacetime, de Sitter space, and conformal field theories, treating cosmological dualities and the holographic principle as entry points into quantum gravity to show how quantum entanglement, qubits, and black holes challenge traditional metaphysical perspectives on space and time world structures. It investigates string theory and M-theory's multi-dimensional landscapes, analyzing how unobservable dimensions, metastable states, and event horizon oceans alter our understanding of localized "being," material reality, lived space, and lived time. Turning to computation, the text connects quantum computing architectures with modern AI algorithms, contrasting classical logic with fuzzy and quantum logic to examine how superposition, qubits, and extending entanglement challenge the classic paradigms of observation, intelligence, and emergence. It concludes by examining the foundational relationship between the fundamental forces, atomic theory, and the emergence of chaotic systems, mapping the historical and philosophical transition from deterministic classical models to a different kind of probabilistic understanding of what we mean by physicality. By juxtaposing these advanced models with traditional philosophical inquiry, the study demonstrates where findings in the 20th century were affected by the measurement problem, forcing the development of radically new frameworks in our understanding of the cosmos and upending prior philosophical assumptions.
Abstract: For over a century, quantum mechanics has operated within an ontological void. While its mathematical formalism achieves unprecedented predictive success, the question of what actually exists remains unresolved. This paper proposes a radical ontological reformation: reality is not a singular spacetime continuum inhabited by particles, but rather an overlapping multiplicity of independent spatial manifolds—each carried by what we call an "observer" or material center. This single postulate, the Separated Universes Theory (SUT), dissolves three major philosophical crises in modern physics: the mystery of measurement, the paradox of non-locality, and the abandonment of determinism. By redefining locality within shared spatial manifolds, we demonstrate that Einstein’s core intuitions—realism and causality—can be fully reconciled with quantum phenomena without the need for "spooky action at a distance." This work seeks to provide the missing metaphysical foundation that physics has lacked since the Copenhagen capitulation, restoring the intelligibility of nature through a new geometric-energetic framework.
This paper examines the deep and enduring relationship between physics and philosophy, a connection that has shaped the trajectory of human inquiry from antiquity to the present. By tracing their shared historical roots, the paper emphasizes how early philosophical speculations laid the groundwork for scientific reasoning. Despite the modern institutional separation of these two disciplines, physics continues to grapple with questions that are fundamentally philosophical in nature, questions concerning the essence of time, space, causality, determinism, and the very nature of reality. The paper explores the epistemological structures that underpin scientific knowledge, such as the criteria for theory confirmation and falsifiability, and investigates the ontological assumptions embedded in classical and modern physics. Special attention is devoted to paradigm shifts in the history of science, including the contributions of figures such as Aristotle, Newton, Popper, and Kuhn, as well as the radical implications of quantum mechanics and general relativity. Through an analysis of contemporary debates, such as those surrounding interpretations of quantum mechanics, the multiverse, and the conceptual validity of string theory, the paper argues that philosophy remains indispensable for critically examining and contextualizing scientific thought. Far from being obsolete, philosophical reflection serves as a compass for navigating the conceptual challenges of physics. Ultimately, the dialogue between philosophy and physics is presented as a dynamic and reciprocal exchange, one that not only enriches both fields but is also necessary for advancing our understanding of the universe.
This paper examines the deep and enduring relationship between physics and philosophy, a connection that has shaped the trajectory of human inquiry from antiquity to the present. By tracing their shared historical roots, the paper emphasizes how early philosophical speculations laid the groundwork for scientific reasoning. Despite the modern institutional separation of these two disciplines, physics continues to grapple with questions that are fundamentally philosophical in nature, questions concerning the essence of time, space, causality, determinism, and the very nature of reality. The paper explores the epistemological structures that underpin scientific knowledge, such as the criteria for theory confirmation and falsifiability, and investigates the ontological assumptions embedded in classical and modern physics. Special attention is devoted to paradigm shifts in the history of science, including the contributions of figures such as Aristotle, Newton, Popper, and Kuhn, as well as the radical implications of quantum mechanics and general relativity. Through an analysis of contemporary debates, such as those surrounding interpretations of quantum mechanics, the multiverse, and the conceptual validity of string theory, the paper argues that philosophy remains indispensable for critically examining and contextualizing scientific thought. Far from being obsolete, philosophical reflection serves as a compass for navigating the conceptual challenges of physics. Ultimately, the dialogue between philosophy and physics is presented as a dynamic and reciprocal exchange, one that not only enriches both fields but is also necessary for advancing our understanding of the universe.
In this magisterial work, Roland Omnès takes us from the academies of ancient Greece to the laboratories of modern science as he seeks to do no less than rebuild the foundations of the philosophy of knowledge. One of the world's leading quantum physicists, Omnès reviews the history and recent development of mathematics, logic, and the physical sciences to show that current work in quantum theory offers new answers to questions that have puzzled philosophers for centuries: Is the world ultimately intelligible? Are all events caused? Do objects have definitive locations? Omnès addresses these profound questions with vigorous arguments and clear, colorful writing, aiming not just to advance scholarship but to enlighten readers with no background in science or philosophy. The book opens with an insightful and sweeping account of the main developments in science and the philosophy of knowledge from the pre-Socratic era to the nineteenth century. Omnès then traces the emergence in modern thought of a fracture between our intuitive, commonsense views of the world and the abstract and--for most people--incomprehensible world portrayed by advanced physics, math, and logic. He argues that the fracture appeared because the insights of Einstein and Bohr, the logical advances of Frege, Russell, and Gödel, and the necessary mathematics of infinity of Cantor and Hilbert cannot be fully expressed by words or images only. Quantum mechanics played an important role in this development, as it seemed to undermine intuitive notions of intelligibility, locality, and causality. However, Omnès argues that common sense and quantum mechanics are not as incompatible as many have thought. In fact, he makes the provocative argument that the "consistent-histories" approach to quantum mechanics, developed over the past fifteen years, places common sense (slightly reappraised and circumscribed) on a firm scientific and philosophical footing for the first time. In doing so, it provides what philosophers have sought through the ages: a sure foundation for human knowledge. Quantum Philosophy is a profound work of contemporary science and philosophy and an eloquent history of the long struggle to understand the nature of the world and of knowledge itself.
We present a historical-epistemological analysis of the foundations of quantum mechanics, highlighting the relationships between quantum mechanics and scientific realism, as well as the influence of the neo-positivist philosophy of the first decades of the 20th century. The great significance of the measurement process in the context of quantum mechanics is underlined as an essential element in providing a coherent description of reality, moving from micro to macrocosm, as well as the role that the measurement apparatus and the consciousness of the observer assume during the act of measurement, the related ontological problems, the question of the objectification of the wave function, and that of the definition of discernibility. We consider also an overview of the most important alternative proposals to the standard interpretation of quantum mechanics (Copenhagen interpretation), with particular reference to hidden variable theories and other alternatives to standard quantum mechanics philosophical approach, that are modifying the vision of reality, such as the Everett’s many-worlds theory, the QBism and unified holistic approaches, such as the Primordial Dynamic Space.