Physics and Philosophy

As I began this week’s readings, I at first failed to see any connection between physics and philosophy. After all, science is a process of systematic observation, while philosophy attempts to answer questions that cannot be observed. The methodology of philosophy seems too theoretical to apply to the scientific method with its use of reason instead of hard facts. However, after reading the selections on “Physics and Philosophy,” and “Cosmic Inflation,” I began to realize the philosophical aspects of science.

Because our scope of observation is very limited, scientists, just like philosophers, must apply reason to advance their theories beyond what is readily observable. While the fundamentals of cosmic inflation and the big bang are based upon mathematical fact, these theories are still speculation because they lack hard empirical evidence. In this manner, scientists may become philosophers in their own way. Like other philosophers, they seek a “unified theory” that gives logic and reason to our seemingly chaotic existence. The cosmic inflation theory is one manner of organizing the grand scope of our universe.

“Physics and Philosophy” demonstrates that the push toward systematic, scientific logic began long ago, during the reformation. At that time, Descartes attempted to apply systematic logic to the human mind by breaking down all knowledge to “cogito ergo sum,” I think, therefore I am. Like the scientist’s attempts at a “unified theory,” he was creating a single, universal fact upon which to base all other knowledge. This began the current push toward a mathematical and scientific truth in our universe.

However we to frame it, philosophical science is still bound by our “method of questioning” and our own empirical observation. Scientists seem to feel that theories based in mathematics and physics would attain absolute certainty. However, we may never be able to find the answers to the big bang and the origin of the universe, because they are beyond human understanding.. In this way, scientists are no different than philosophers and theologians in their search for a unified truth.