Conceptualizations of Reality

1
Conceptualizations of Reality

• Comparing the Philosophical implications of
  Relative-State Quantum Mechanics and Shankaras
  Advaita Vedanta

2
Paradigm Shift The Classical to the Quantum

• Classical Physics and Theory
• Newton
• Determinism
• Continuity

3
Paradigm Shift

• Planck
• Quantization of energy
• Bohr
• Valence/orbit electrons
• Demonstrated indeterminacy and spontaneity at the
  subatomic level
• Superposition
• Nascence of Quantum Mechanics

4
Copenhagen Interpretation

• 1927 Como, Italy
• Bohr and Heisenberg
• 4 basic tenets
• Uncertainty
• Complementarity
• Probability
• Subjectivity and Observation

5
Wave Function

• Uncertainty -gt Wave-Particle Duality
• Superposition
• De Broglie, diffraction pattern experiment
• Schrödinger
• Molecular model, waves of possibility
• Born
• Expansion of Schrödingers concepts
• Probability/randomness

6
The Measurement Problem

• Determinism vs. Probability and Randomness
• Deterministic evolution as wave, indeterministic
  collapse upon measurement/observation
• Dirac/Von Neumann
• Incompatibility of deterministic and random laws
• What is a measurement?
• Lack of definition and specification

7
Relative-State Formulations

• Everett
• Avoid the measurement problem
• No collapse of the wave function
• State of reality is ultimately a giant wave
  function
• Observers represented as wave-system
• Observations relative to their state
• Addresses the conflicts entailed by the meas.
  problem, but relative-state formulations have
  their own issues (namely, accounting for
  determinate experience)
• Everett, Hugh. Relative-State Formulation of
  Quantum Mechanics
• Everett, Hugh The Theory of the Universal Wave
  Function

8
Everett

• Relative-state form.
• Objectively- continuous, causal
• Subjectively/to the observer-discontinuous,
  evolves probabilistically
• His is an unclear and ultimately undeveloped
  theory- doesnt account for what experiences are
  had
• Motivated the progression of no-collapse QMT

9
The Bare Theory

• David Albert
• There is no such thing as determinate experience
• World is really an array of superposed systems,
  the wave function
• Mind creates the illusion of experience
• Somewhat of a barren and incomplete theory
• Could never prove or disprove it
• Does, however, provide interesting thinking
  grounds
• Putnams brain-in-a-vat, Descartes evil demon

10
Many Worlds

• DeWitt and Graham
• Splitting worlds- any measurement that is made
  initiates an infinite number of worlds
  (associated with superposed after-state)
• Ontology-too extravagant, violates conservation
  of mass/energy, Ockhams razor
• No epistemic access to other worlds
• Explains determinate experience,
  clarifies/explicates some of Everett
• DeWitt and Graham. The Many Worlds Interpretation
  of Quantum Mechanics

11
Many Minds

• Albert and Loewer
• Single Mind
• One mind-state, jumps from state to state upon
  observation
• Mindless hulks
• Many Minds
• One brain-state associated with infinite
  mind-states
• Mind-body dualism
• Consistent with physical conservation, explains
  why we have determinate experience
• Empirically unprovable
• Albert and Loewer. Interpreting the Many Worlds
  Interpretation.

12
Advaita Vedanta

• Non-dualism
• Shankara
• Reality
• Brahman
• Is the sole, Ultimate Reality
• The universe and all it entails are
  manifestations
• Things made of gold are different, but of same
  essence
• Transcends the universe
• Spaceless, timeless, beyond classification/concept
  s
• Puligandla, R. That Thou Art.

13
Advaita Vedanta

• Existence
• Interdependence
• All things exist interdependently, and in a
  causal chain
• Identity, Parfit
• No ultimate transtemporal identity
• Illusion
• Separateness
• Maya
• Creative power of Brahman, causes things to
  appear as separate
• Ultimately, reality is non-different (as opposed
  to identical)

14
Shankara

• Sublation
• Hierarchical categorization of reality and what
  is real
• 3 levels
• Reality- Brahman, the highest, it IS reality
• Unsublatable
• No true subject-object distinction
• Appearance
• Things we sense and perceive (as different,
  separate)
• Yet still are still appearances, illusion
• Maya
• Grounded in reality, hence not unreal. Simply is
  illusion that has no independent existence
• Sublatable
• Unreality
• That which is not real, not perceivable
• Unsublatable

15
Truth

• In Shankaras Philosophy, 2 levels
• Higher- Brahman, that which is real
• Non-conceptual, non-categorized, ultimate
• Lower- Conventional truth, categorized, common
  truth and knowledge
• Mind and its functioning
• Scientific knowledge, etc.
• Only one higher truth, many lower truths

16
Experience, Feyerabend

• Paul Feyerabend
• Pluralistic model of theories and truth
• Consider many theories, compare them to find the
  best
• Counter-inductive
• Experience
• Theory is independent of it
• Only can be a correlation of what we experience
  and what theories say
• Not descriptive of the world as it actually is,
  yet experience is nonetheless true for those
  experiencing it
• Similar to Kants phenomena v. noumena

17
Feyerabend and Truth

• Reality, our understanding it is limited by
  theory
• Sensibilities, limited perspectives
• Theories cannot ultimately describe the
  (scientific) truth of the universe
• Relative-State theories and Shankaran philosophy

18
Synthesizing Sense and Soul

• Wilber
• Science and religion have both been dominated,
  controlled
• This dominance of ideology precludes any sort of
  universality
• Led to flatland view, where only objective
  things are true
• No room for morals, mind, consciousness,
  subjectivity
• Reconciliation, Integration of science and
  religion
• Synthesis of the objective/external and the
  subjective/internal
• 4 quadrants indiv. Subjective, collective
  inter-subjective (culture, etc), individual
  exterior (seen from outside), social collective
  objective
• The disaster of modernity is the dismissal of
  subjectivity
• Integral-aperspectival
• Like Feyerabend, ultimate truth cant be found
  via contextual perspectives
• Integrate subjective and objective (4 quads)
  without trying to reduce one to another

19
References

• Albert, David, and Loewer, Barry. Interpreting
  the Many Worlds Interpretation. Synthese. Kluwer
  Academic Publishers. Vol 77, 1988. 193-213.
• Everett, H. Relative State Formulation of
  Quantum Mechanics. Reviews of Modern Physics,
  29.
• DeWitt, B. and Graham. The Many Worlds
  Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. Princeton
  Princetone University Press
• Puligandla, R. That Thou Art The Wisdom of the
  Upanishads.
• Fremont, CA Asian Humanities Press, 2002