1965 Geloof en Wetenschap : Orgaan van de Christelijke vereeniging van natuur- en geneeskundigen in Nederland - pagina 242

198

G J. SIZOO

which they had in classical physics and are replaced by a relative geo-chronometry, dependent on the state of movement of the observer. The development of quantum-physics has introduced the observer in a still more fundamental way in the interpretation of physical knowledge. This theory has indeed brought forward the insight that every physical observation must be considered as a discrete and unpredictable interaction between the observing subject and the observed object. Of course the fact that in every physical measurement there must be an interaction between the measuring instrument and the system on which the measurement has to be performed, was well known in classical physics. However, it was assumed that this interaction could in principle be reduced to zero and therefore could be ignored in the theory. The discovery of Planck's constant, the quantum of action, led physicists to acknowledge, that this reduction to zero did not correspond with physical reality and that they had to lay this lower limit of interaction at the basis of their theory. In close connection with this, and in consequence of the experimental investigation of the phenomena, it was also understood that the physical concepts of waves and particles had to be used alternatively and in a complementary way, in order to describe the full behaviour of both light and matter and their mutual interactions. This means that in modem physical thought the concept of continuity as well as that of discontinuity, the principle of causality as well as that of probability, are used on equal terms, representing the dual approach to physical phenomena which is needed to grasp their full reality. These two ways of approach, which in a merely logical sense may seem to be contradictory, are in fact correlated to two kinds of experiments, that is to two ways in which the observing subject may put himself in relation to the object to be observed, and which must supplement each other in the process of acquiring physical knowledge. These changes within the field of science itself did not fail to influence the ideas about the nature of physical knowledge. Whereas the objectivistic conceptions had evidently to be abandoned, the subjectivistic point of view became favourite. Perhaps the most extreme formulation of this conception has been

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