[Marxism] re: The Notion of Absolute Truth

["paul illich" <paul_illich@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rakesh wrote:

> re: quantum mechanics. I can't wrap my head
> around the philosophical argument about Everett's
> interpretation, as provocative as it is.
> rb
>
>   The Tyranny of Common Sense
> David Papineau


I read this too. I think Papineau's attempts to equate subatomic quantum
events
with a philosophical position that posits a macro-scale consequence is very
much
a sign of his lack of understanding of QT issues.

At close to absolute zero, macro-scale objects do appear to exhibit (in the
right
circumstances) quantum effects. An example of an attempt to create a
real-world
mechanical device based on this is the Josephson Junction, which can act as
a
macro-scale switch that instantaneously flips - where normally atoms on one
side of
an object cannot but move before those on the other, this is literally
instantaneous
and thus a quantum effect (information transfer at over light speed).

These occur at very very low temperatures, as energy states above this damp
out all
the QT effects we have been able to measure.

That is to say, as yet, we cannot but interpret QT as being more of less
completely
limited to sub atomic events, in anything like 'normal' circumstances.

This renders much of Papineau speculation redundant.

I also think he is too ready to accept Everett's ideas out of a context that
alows a
number of other philosophically interesting interpretations. That science on
this
level is so wide open indicates serious problems with the science, I think,
and
many interpretations result in 'problems' such as infinite regress, etc. The
resolution
is important, as theological conceptions of the anthropic principle are
undermined by
many of the interpretations that allow other dimensions or other world's,
and I
applaud undermining that!

For my money, a limiting factor needs to be introduced that stops infinite
regress,
but so far none has. This may be because there are more fundamental flaws in
QT, which is what I suspect - but I am not a physicist either... I suspect
that
dark energy, Linde's 80's ideas of domains, and quantum vacuum flutuations
are
key to having it both ways (ie, stopping infinite regression an similar
rationalist
no-go zones, and at the same time still undermining the 'only a deity
/universe
planned specially for us' nonsense). This comes from email conversation with
Tim Barton of bluegreenearth, who has yet to put much of his own
philosophical
ideas online (he is web editor of a green-left anarchist site, so has other
fish to fry
- a shame, as I think he is on to something in his ideas on metaphysiics and
its
intersection with ecology, politics, and science). He may no more 'right'
than
Papineau, but he certainly doesn't have truck with mysticism, which Papineau
is
on a head-on course to collide with, if he hasn't already...

Paul



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