1965 Geloof en Wetenschap : Orgaan van de Christelijke vereeniging van natuur- en geneeskundigen in Nederland - pagina 240

THE NATURE AND VALUE OF PHYSICAL KNOWLEDGE') by G. J. SIZOO

Since the beginning of this century the astonishing development of physical science has forced the physicists to revise several of the basic concepts which had been used for a long time in formulating physical knowledge. In consequence not only the content but also the nature and value of physical knowledge have become items of discussion among scientists and philosophers. In the nineteenth century the truth, certainty and exactness of physical knowledge had seemed to be raised beyond any doubt. Physical things and phenomena were considered as existing and occurring in the framework of absolute time and space. It was assumed that the knowledge about these phenomena, which could be acquired through observation, measurement and inductive reasoning, might be called objective, in the sense that it was completely determined by the object of the observations. Such an objective character was also ascribed to the relations between physical quantities, revealed by experiment and measurement. The term „Laws of Nature" was even often used in such an absolute sense, that it seemed as if Nature herself had to follow these laws in blind obedience. Man himself, being part of Nature, was subject to these laws, and his whole existence, including his intellectual and spiritual life, was caught in the network of eternal and unchangeable natural relations. This objectivistic interpretation of physical knowledge found its exponent in the idea of the „spirit of Laplace", which by knowledge of the positions and velocities of all material particles would be able to ^) Paper for the International Conference on Science and Faith, Oxford, July 17-26, 1965, organised by the Research Scientists Christian Fellowship, London.

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen