The Modern Rift Between Physics and Philosophy #3

Some blog followers might be interested in a recent post “The Modern Rift Between Physics and Philosophy #3” [Hake (2012b)]. The abstract reads:

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ABSTRACT: My post “Physicist Steven Weinberg's Essay ‘AGAINST PHILOSOPHY’ ” [Hake (2012a)] initiated a thread on the HOPOS-L archives at which had grown to 10 posts on 22 Feb 2012 16:19-0800. I give excepts from the posts of philosophers Kristian Camilleri and Val Dusek, both pointing out the modern rift between physics and philosophy.
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To access the complete 12 kB post please click on http://bit.ly/AxsEa2.

Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
Honorary Member, Curmudgeon Lodge of Deventer, The Netherlands
President, PEdants for Definitive Academic References
which Recognize the Invention of the Internet (PEDARRII)

rrhake@earthlink.net
Links to Articles: http://bit.ly/a6M5y0
Links to SDI Labs: http://bit.ly/9nGd3M
Blog: http://bit.ly/9yGsXh
Academia: http://iub.academia.edu/RichardHake
Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/rrhake


REFERENCES [URL’s shortened by http://bit.ly/ and accessed on 22 Feb 2012.]
Hake, R.R. 2012a. “Physicist Steven Weinberg's Essay ‘AGAINST PHILOSOPHY’ (was ‘References for Hermeneutics of Physics’), ” online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at http://bit.ly/xupPFH. Post of 20 Feb 2012 16:48:24-0800 to AERA-L and Net-Gold. The abstract and link to the complete post are being transmitted to several discussion lists.

Hake, R.R. 2012b. "The Modern Rift Between Physics and Philosophy 3," online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at http://bit.ly/AxsEa2. Post of 23 Feb 2012 09:02:38 -0800 to AERA-L and Net-Gold. The abstract and link to the complete post are being transmitted to several discussion lists.

Physicist Steven Weinberg’s Essay “AGAINST PHILOSOPHY” (was “References for Hermeneutics of Physics”)

Some blog followers might be interested in a recent post “Physicist Steven Weinberg’s Essay ‘AGAINST PHILOSOPHY’ (was ‘References for Hermeneutics of Physics’) ” [Hake (2012)]. The abstract reads:

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ABSTRACT: Faye Pasamonte of the PhysLrnR list requested references on the “hermeneutics of physics.” [An online dictionary tells me that hermeneutics is “the branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation, esp. of the Bible or literary texts.”] My relay of her request - along with a dismissal of hermeneutics by philosopher Denis Phillips - to the HOPOS-L list (History of Philosophy of Science) initiated a 20-post thread replete with references and a mix of opinions on the value of hermeneutics. Philosopher George Gale, a hermeneutics skeptic, wrote (paraphrasing) “Steven Weinberg in Chapter 7 ‘AGAINST PHILOSOPHY’ of his book Dreams of a Final Theory holds his own pretty damn well against the despised philosophers.”

Weinberg wrote: “. . . we should not expect it [philosophy] to provide today’s scientists with any useful guidance about how to go about their work or about what they are likely to find. . . . After surveying three decades of professional writings in the philosophy of science, the philosopher George Gale. . . . .[[in Science and the Philosophers (Gale, 1984)]]. . . . . concludes that ‘these almost arcane discussions, verging on the scholastic, could have interested only the smallest number of practicing scientists.’. . . . . . . . .[[my italics]]. . . . Wittgenstein (1980) wrote that ‘nothing seems to me less likely than that a scientist or mathematician who reads me should be seriously influenced in the way he works.’ ”
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To access the complete 15 kB post please click on http://bit.ly/xupPFH.

Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
Honorary Member, Curmudgeon Lodge of Deventer, The Netherlands
President, PEdants for Definitive Academic References
which Recognize the Invention of the Internet (PEDARRII)

rrhake@earthlink.net
Links to Articles: http://bit.ly/a6M5y0
Links to SDI Labs: http://bit.ly/9nGd3M
Blog: http://bit.ly/9yGsXh
Academia: http://iub.academia.edu/RichardHake
Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/rrhake


REFERENCES [URL shortened by http://bit.ly/ and accessed on 20 Feb 2012.]

Hake, R.R. 2012. “Physicist Steven Weinberg’s Essay ‘AGAINST PHILOSOPHY’ (was ‘References for Hermeneutics of Physics’), ” online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at http://bit.ly/xupPFH. Post of 20 Feb 2012 16:48:24-0800 to AERA-L and Net-Gold. The abstract and link to the complete post are being transmitted to several discussion lists.

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