Clarifying Holistic Elements in Modern Science

对量子力学和其他当代科学理论的解释正经历着压力，因为一方面，它们似乎涉及某种整体论，另一方面，整体论通常被认为是无可救药的晦涩难懂。泰勒教授将通过发展和应用他称之为“关系整体论”的概念来解决这一解释僵局。这一新概念与许多关于整体论的传统工作有很大不同，并且可以通过当代分析哲学的标准来清楚地表达出来。泰勒教授将运用由此产生的温和和激进的关系整体论的概念，阐明经典科学思想的精神在哪些方面似乎是非整体性的，在哪些方面经典科学仍然存在重要的整体性，以及量子力学涉及彻底打破传统的非整体性偏见的方式。这些结果将澄清量子力学与传统概念的不同之处。进一步的应用将为解决大卫·休谟关于因果关系的传统谜题奠定基础(如何证明一个结果和一个原因必然相关？)并澄清最近对社会科学整体要素的兴趣重新抬头。

The interpretation of quantum mechanics and other contemporary theories in science are experiencing strain because, on the one hand, they appear to involve some kind of holism, while on the other hand holism has generally been regarded as hopelessly obscure. Professor Teller will resolve this interpretive impasse by developing and applying a conception which he calls "relational holism." This new concept differs significantly from much traditional work on holism and can be made acceptably clear by the standards of contemporary analytic philosophy. Professor Teller will apply the resulting notions of moderate and radical relational holism to clarifying the ways in which the spirit of classical scientific thought seemed to be non-holistic, the ways in which there are nonetheless important holistic strands in classical science, and the ways in which quantum mechanics involves a radical break with traditional non-holistic prejudices. The results will clarify the ways in which quantum mechanics departs from traditional conceptions. Further applications will lay the groundwork for coming to terms with the traditional puzzles of David Hume about causation (how can one prove that an effect and a cause are necessarily connected?) and for clarification of the recent resurgence of interest in holistic elements in the social sciences.