Hospitable Universe电子书

Cover

Front matter

Title page

Publisher information

Body matter

Preface

Acknowledgements

1 Introduction

2 Naturalism, physicalism, emergence

2.1 Naturalism

2.2 Physicalism

2.3 Epistemological reductionism and ontological emergence

2.4 Religious naturalism

Part I: A quick tour of contemporary physics

3 Birth and zenith of mechanism

3.1 Introduction

3.2 The impact of classical mechanics on the thought of the 17th and 18th centuries

3.3 The birth of modern cosmology

3.4 Cartesian mechanism

4 The downfall of the mechanist paradigm

4.1 Introduction

4.2 The electric and magnetic field

4.3 Electromagnetism

4.4 Electromagnetic waves

4.5 The electromagnetism of Faraday and Maxwell

4.6 Electromagnetic properties of light

4.7 Interference

4.8 Atomism

4.9 Conclusions

5 The scenario becomes an actor: space-time as a form of matter

5.1 Special relativity

5.1.1 Relativity of simultaneity and lapses of time

5.1.2 Neither space nor time: space-time

5.2 General relativity

5.2.1 Origins

5.3 Basic ideas of general relativity

5.4 Conclusions

6 A first tour through the quantum world

6.1 Introduction

6.1.1 Waves or corpuscles?

6.1.2 The uncertainty principle

6.1.3 Wavefunctions and wave mechanics

6.2 The fundamental rules of quantum mechanics

6.2.1 Polarized photons

6.2.2 Spinning particles

6.2.3 The probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics

6.2.4 The basic concepts of quantum mechanics; systems, states and events

6.2.5 Conclusion

7 A surprise and a mystery of quantum mechanics: entangled systems and measurements

7.1 Non locality and entanglement in quantum systems

7.1.1 Composite system of two particles in independent proper states

7.1.2 Composite system of two entangled particles

7.1.3 Non-locality, the EPR experiment and Bell’s inequalities

7.1.4 The meaning of quantum states: no cloning and teleportation

7.2 The problem of quantum measurements

8 Towards a complete unification of the conceptual frameworks, including all forms of matter

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Quantizing electromagnetism

8.2.1 Recovering the classical behavior of fields: coherent states

8.2.2 Quantum field theory

8.2.3 The vacuum state and virtual particles

8.2.4 Interacting fields and infinities

8.3 The issue of unifying quantum mechanics and gravity

8.3.1 Towards a complete physical description of the world: quantum gravity, loops and strings

8.3.2 Loop quantum gravity

8.3.3 Superstrings

8.3.4 Conclusions

Part II Quantum Physics and emergence

9 The problem of the interpretation of quantum mechanics and scientific realism

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Quantum mechanics and its interpretations

9.3 The derivation of an ontology from physics

9.3.1 Quantum mechanics and the crisis in the ontology of classical physics

9.3.2 Bohr interpretation

9.4 An ontology of states and events for quantum mechanics

9.5 Interpretations that admit an event ontology

9.5.1 Events in the Many Worlds Interpretation

9.5.2 Events in Modal Interpretations

9.5.3 The (real time) Montevideo Interpretation of quantum mechanics

10 Emergence and non reductive physicalism

10.1 Emergence in terms of an event ontology

10.1.1 Ontologically new properties

10.1.2 Downward causation

10.1.3 Summary

Part III The centrality of life

11 Darwinism and the centrality of life

11.1 The issue of the origin of life

11.2 Darwinism

11.3 From neo-Darwinism to evolution in the era of genome

11.4 Can one talk about progress in evolution?

11.5 Mechanism, Darwinism and 21st century science

12 Ontology of events and consciousness

12.1 Back to consciousness

12.2 What do we mean by consciousness?

12.3 The problem of consciousness and quantum theory

12.4 The mind-body problem and the quantum ontology

12.4.1 Objects and substances

12.4.2 Properties and events

12.4.3 The mind-body problem

13 Cosmology: the genesis of a bio-friendly universe

13.1 Synopsis of the evolution of the Universe

13.2 The dark universe

13.3 Inflation

13.4 The Anthropic Principle

13.5 A bio-friendly Universe

14 The Multiverse and beyond

Part IV Religious Naturalism

15 The scientific roots of nihilism and its overcoming

15.1 Introduction

15.2 Nihilism in 19th century science

15.3 Revision of nihilism from the perspective of contemporary science

16 Monism vs. pluralism: natural religiousness and its historical roots

16.1 Introduction

16.2 Spinoza’s conception

16.3 Whitehead’s conception

16.4 Quantum physics and the ontological pluralism of actualities

16.5 Ontological monism of potentialities

17 Emotions, ethics and free will

17.1 Introduction

17.2 Emotions as the internal aspect of states

17.3 Freedom of the will versus random choices.

18 Creativity and God

18.1 Creativity

18.2 God

18.2.1 Finite or infinite Universe

18.2.2 What do we mean by the state of the Universe?

18.2.3 Eternity and temporality

18.2.4 God and the Universe are Increate

18.2.5 Natural theism

18.2.6 Mortality

19 Conclusions

Back matter

Bibliography