Economics Dictionary of ArgumentsHome
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| Laws of Nature, philosophy: laws of nature (physical laws) are descriptions of dependencies of physical quantities among each other. From the fact that these are descriptions, it follows that these are no regulations in the sense of e.g. legal regulations. N. Goodman suggests in “Fact, Fiction and Forecast” (1954) that natural laws should be formulated in the form of irreal conditional sentences (also known as counterfactual conditionals); If A were the case, B would have been the case. See also counterfactual conditionals, irreal conditionals, laws, lawlikeness, law statements._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
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John Archibald Wheeler on Natural Laws - Dictionary of Arguments
Genz II Natural Laws/Wheeler/Genz: Thesis: We do not need natural laws if everything happens through the co-operation of individual events which together obey the statistical laws of quantum mechanics. >Quantum mechanics, >Laws, cf. >Principles. Genz II 287 Natural Law/Origin/Law/Wheeler/Genz: Wheeler has called his text "Law without law", which seeks the origin of natural laws without accepting underlying laws. Holger Nielsen/Genz: "Random Dynamics Project": thesis: possible fundamental laws for small distances could be different without this affecting us. Natural laws/Wheeler/Genz: Thesis: Natural laws should be traced back to observations. Not human observers, but solidifications (see above) which have occurred, and therefore cannot be reversed. >Observation, >Observation dependence. "Elemental quantum phenomenon"/Wheeler: the phenomenon emerges from a lot of possibilities and is solidified to a fact. It becomes a phenomenon, by an avalanche of processes that it triggers... II 288 ...and by which it is "enlarged". It is only a phenomenon when it is noticed. A) by a track B) by an excitation like a momentary temperature increase, which immediately decays again. At the same time, quantum mechanical information is destroyed by making it both noticeable and unreadable. Then only the universe as a whole can be the observer. II 290 Delayed choice/Wheeler: Experiment: analogous to the double slit experiment: e.g. chamber with only one photon and two mirrors as well as two semipermeable mirrors. If the semipermeable mirrors are only placed in position during the experiment, there is an extinction at a detector, in the other an amplification (by interference) of the beam. Classic: the photon impinging on the mirror causes it to wobble and destroy the interference pattern. Genz II 295 Wheeler/Natural laws/Genz: Thesis: God must roll dice, otherwise we could not understand "his" laws. >Understanding. Law/Wheeler: thesis: every law will ultimately prove to be statistical. II 295 Natural laws/Wheeler/Genz: Thesis: The natural laws emerged after the Big Bang and will be destroyed by the end of the universe._____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Wheeler I J. A. Wheeler Quantum Theory and Measurement Princeton 2014 Gz I H. Genz Gedankenexperimente Weinheim 1999 Gz II Henning Genz Wie die Naturgesetze Wirklichkeit schaffen. Über Physik und Realität München 2002 |
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> Counter arguments against Wheeler
> Counter arguments in relation to Natural Laws
