Customer Reviews

On Physics and Philosophy

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This highly credentialed French physicist applies the disciplines of quantum field theory and philosophy to refute assumptions commonly held by scientists, philosophers, and lay people about what is "real," and to sort out such views as are consonant with experimental data. I take pleasure in D'Espangnat's clean writing, his dedication to accuracy, and his insistence on addressing the ground from which our concepts arise. Here D'Espagnat expands on his earlier work regarding "veiled reality." The book is accessible to lay intellectuals who like to savor ideas and reflect on them.

Reading this book was not easy, it does teach the reader the facts well, summarizes everything thoroughly and clearly, describes the dilemmas (mess?) the present day physics is in. The author is very careful in avoiding explaining why reality should be veiled; whether reality is dualist (note, d'Espagnat is not a "scientific materialist"); whether we (and perhaps even animals?) have free will etc. I'm planning a second reading soon.