Einstein’s theories brought an end to a lot of metaphysical speculation, but the physics that he pioneered has also posed fresh questions. It appears to confirm or at least complement many of the philosophies of other great thinkers. The definition of matter, for example, has similarities to idealist philosophies like those of Schopenhauer and Buddhism. Many of the concepts in quantum mechanics are hard for even physicists today to understand and seem to defy common sense – such as Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle and the “observer effect” (the need to observe something in order to fix its properties) which seems to defy common sense, yet has striking similarities to Berkeley’s philosophy. The big bang theory of the origin of our universe also opened the question of whether there could be more than one universe.
Introduction
How do we really define Philosophy? The Greek word φιλοσοφία – Philosophia. Or as the term has been coined by modern Western language – Philosophy. The literal meaning of this word is relatively static. Derived from its Greek origin it comprises two separate words...
