- Paperback: 308 pages
- Publisher: Cambridge University Press (16 Mar 1989)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 052137927X
- ISBN-13: 978-0521379274
- Product Dimensions: 2.3 x 1.5 x 0.2 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 426,090 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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'The breadth and clarity of Murdoch's analysis makes this book a worthy addition to Bohrian scholarship.' Nick Herbert, New Scientist
Product Description
This book gives a clear and comprehensive exposition of Niels Bohr's philosophy of physics. Bohr's ideas are of major importance, for they are the source of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum physics; yet they are obscure, and call for the sort of close analysis that this book provides. The book describes the historical background of the physics from which Bohr's ideas grew. The core of the book is a detailed analysis of Bohr's arguments for complementarity and of the interpretation which he put upon it. Special emphasis is placed throughout on the contrasting views of Einstein, and the great debate between Bohr and Einstein is thoroughly examined. The book traces the philosophical influences on Bohr, and unravels the realist and anti-realist strands in his thinking. Bohr's philosophy is critically assessed in the light of recent developments in the foundations of quantum physics (the work of Bell and others) and in philosophy (the realism-anti-realism debate) and it is revealed as being much more subtle and sophisticated than it is generally taken to be. While the book will be of interest to specialists, it is written in a style that will make it accessible to those who have no specialist knowledge of the relevant physics and philosophy.
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Niels Bohr's theory of complementarity was an attempt to solve the enormous problems of interpretation - especially the problem of wave-particle duality - that beset the quantum theory in the mid-twenties. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Niels Bohr's theory of complementarity was an attempt to solve the enormous problems of interpretation - especially the problem of wave-particle duality - that beset the quantum theory in the mid-twenties. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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2 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Comprehensive but difficult
6 Mar 2008
Format:Paperback
As a nuclear engineering graduate student, I expected to understand most of what was discussed, but the book is highly technical and really requires a further understanding of quantum mechanics. If you haven't had an introduction to modern physics course, or have equivalent knowledge, you won't be able to appreciate the philosophical points. With some knowledge, an understanding of the original philosophical considerations of quantum mechanics is gained by reading this book. Additionally, expect this book to take a very long time to read--I took more than four months to finish and I can usually read even technical things of comparable length in less than a week.
Finally, I like the portrait of Bohr that is presented in this book. Usually he is shown as extremely abstracted and highly intelligent, but largely as a caring person--more the human side. This book helped me understand the level of his genius without showing him as inhumanly scientific or emphasizing his assistance to other scientists during the WWII.
Finally, I like the portrait of Bohr that is presented in this book. Usually he is shown as extremely abstracted and highly intelligent, but largely as a caring person--more the human side. This book helped me understand the level of his genius without showing him as inhumanly scientific or emphasizing his assistance to other scientists during the WWII.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Sophisticated Philosophy and Physics
1 Sep 2009
Format:Paperback
This book is concerned with the philosophical interpretation of quantum physics that Bohr developed over his career (and thus, over the development of quantum physics), but there are fairly explicit physical arguments (Gedanken experiments) that clearly expose the issues at hand. This is very appropriate for Bohr's work.
The presentation of Bohr's argument with Einstein on the time/energy uncertainty inequality is the clearest I have ever seen.
For people interested in the meaning of quantum mechanics: You will need to know the quantum physics. There are also a couple of very detailed chapters on other philosophers' views of Bohr and quantum physics, including fairly recent commentary.
The presentation of Bohr's argument with Einstein on the time/energy uncertainty inequality is the clearest I have ever seen.
For people interested in the meaning of quantum mechanics: You will need to know the quantum physics. There are also a couple of very detailed chapters on other philosophers' views of Bohr and quantum physics, including fairly recent commentary.
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