Re: Realism is the opiate of the masses (in physics)

From: Robert Langston (antispam_at_nospam.com)
Date: 11/25/04 

Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2004 21:50:52 GMT

On 25 Nov 2004 08:41:03 -0800, reany@asu.edu (Patrick Reany) wrote:
>Realism is the opiate of the masses (epistemologically speaking).
>Physics is NOT about reality or truth; it is about the invention of
>theories that work...

Physical theories try to form a picture of reality... We want the
observed facts to follow logically from our concept of reality.
Without the belief that it is possible to grasp the reality with our
theoretical constructions, without the belief in the inner harmony of
our world, there could be no science. This belief is and always will
remain the fundamental motive for all scientific creation.

Einstein and Infeld, "The Evolution of Physics"

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