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Work #116

Physics and Philosophy

Werner Heisenberg
1958 (Gifford Lectures, St Andrews, 1955–56) · English (Heisenberg lectured in English)
Popular philosophical lectures · Modern physics / Copenhagen interpretation

The atom is not a thing — and the observer's knowledge is part of the physical situation; the Copenhagen interpretation defended

Attribute Fingerprint

Rows where works disagree are highlighted in gold. The full ontology grid is shown.

Attribute Physics and Philosophy
Time · Extent Infinite
Time · Ontological Status Relational
Time · Grain Continuous
Time · Freedom Non-Deterministic
Time · Traversability Linear
Time · Dimensionality One
Time · Direction Uni-directional
Space · Extent Infinite
Space · Ontological Status Relational
Space · Curvature Curved
Space · Dimensionality Three
Space · Locality Non-local
Matter · Extent Finite
Matter · Ontological Status Relational
Matter · Conservation Conserved
Matter · Dimensionality Three
Matter · Locality Non-local
Observer · Time Instance Single
Observer · Space Instance Single
Observer · Knowledge Extent Immediate
Observer · Knowledge Retainment Total
Observer · Physicality Embodied
Observer · Agency Active
Observer · Number Plural
Observer · Metaphysical Agency None
Observer · Moral Authority Reason
Observer · Theological Method
Energy · Extent Finite
Energy · Ontological Status Substantival
Energy · Conservation Conserved
Energy · Dispersibility Irreversible
Information · Ontological Status Substantival
Information · Cosmic Conservation Non-conserved
Information · Personal Conservation Non-conserved
Information · Granularity Discrete

Dimension-by-Dimension Evidence

What each work's passages reveal about its stance on each of the six dimensions.

Time

Physics and Philosophy

Quantum time is real but relational; quantum evolution is non-deterministic.

Space

Physics and Philosophy

Non-local in the precise sense of quantum entanglement. Bell's inequality (1964) would later make the non-locality empirically definitive.

Matter

Physics and Philosophy

Relational rather than substantival in the classical sense — the "atom" is a probability pattern in a measurement context.

Observer

Physics and Philosophy

The Heisenbergian observer is the embodied physicist whose measurements partly constitute the physical situation. Active in measurement; plural across experimental contexts.

Energy

Physics and Philosophy

Conserved in the standard physics. Wave-particle duality: energy is quantised at the discrete level.

Information

Physics and Philosophy

Quantum information theory developed since Heisenberg has emphasised the substantival character of information in quantum systems. Personal information not conserved.

Internal Tensions

Where each work's argument pulls against itself.

Physics and Philosophy

The interpretation of quantum mechanics remains open. The Copenhagen interpretation Heisenberg defends competes with many-worlds (Everett), Bohmian mechanics, GRW collapse models, and others. Each gives a different reading of what quantum mechanics says about reality. Modern philosophy of physics is continuously productive on these questions.