Philosophy and Physics

Albert Einstein approached questions in physics with philosophy in mind, as did many pioneers of quantum theory such Heisenberg and Niels Bohr. These people who revolutionized quantum theory, physics, and knowledge as a whole practiced physics with a di¿erent 'style' than is predominant today. Of late, it appears as though physics and philosophy are at odds. Many of the world's most celebrated physicists (such as Stephen Hawking, Richard Feynman, and Steven Weinberg) have publicly denounced philosophy as useless, fickle, and obsolete. The quotation below is a poignant example of what I argue is a widespread contemporary attitude toward the integration of physics and philosophy