[MD] Philosophy is dead

[Ham Priday]

 On 15 Sep 2010, at 19:51, Steven Peterson <peterson.steve at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi John, Horse, Marsha,
>
> I hesitate to conclude that Hawking is a moron since there is so much
> evidence to the contrary.
>
> What I hope he means by "philosophy is dead" is that philosophy as
> Plato's project of getting beyond appearances to get us in touch with
> reality as it really is has run its course and outlived its
> usefulness. If so, I think Pirsig and any pragmatist would agree. On
> the other hand, what I suspect he does mean is that science has proven
> itself to be the one true way of getting us in touch with reality as
> it really is. I suspect that he thinks scientific descriptions have
> some privileged status over other sorts of descriptions. ...

I think your analysis is right on, Steve.  Leonard Mlodinow, a science 
journalist who knows Hawkin has published a best-selling book on his 
theories of reality called "The Grand Design."  I heard him interviewed on 
Coast-to-Coast AM last night and thought you might like to review this 
summary of the discussion prepared by the show's host George Noory.

"Caltech physicist Leonard Mlodinow discussed his current work with Hawking 
on the grand design of the universe and two central questions-- where does 
the universe come from, and why are the laws of nature what they are? 
Hawking's theories and the latest research in physics were used to answer 
those questions.  While the conditions for life are just right on Earth, 
Mlodinow noted that we're looking backwards at the situation-- whatever 
conditions it took for us to get here, have already happened.

"The notion of the multiverse (many universes each with their own physical 
laws) is a consequence of Hawking's theory of cosmology, said Mlodinow. 
These various universes arose from nothing, but we now understand from 
quantum theory that the state of nothingness is actually very unstable, and 
that "things are always coming and going from nothingness," he explained. 
Hawking's picture of the universe incorporates three theories:

". A 'no boundary' condition in which time becomes a dimension that looks 
like space.
 . M theory-- an extension of string theory dealing with forces like 
gravity.
 . Top Down Cosmology-- a new quantum approach that suggests the cosmos has 
many   different simultaneous histories.

"Mlodinow also reviewed the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe, 
and the search at the Large Hadron Collider for the theoretical Higgs boson 
particle.  Interestingly, Hawking has predicted that the Higgs particle will 
not be found."

For all his alleged brilliance, Hawkin apparently believes the universe (or 
"multiverse") was created from nothing, despite its 'Grand Design'.  When 
Mlodinow was asked several times if he (and Hawkin) believed there was a 
Creator of the Grand Design, he dismissed the question as "one way of 
thinking," for the unsophisticated.  His reaction was the same when asked if 
he thought life had any purpose.

In short, the Hawkin-Mlodinow team is promoting the view that conscious life 
and the ordered physical universe are mere happenstances that arose from the 
chaos of nothingness.  They are unwilling to even speculate on a principle 
to explain existential reality.  For the life of me, I can't fathom a writer 
choosing the title "The Grand Design" if he doesn't acknowledge a Designer. 
(But perhaps the Pirsigians here view it differently.)

Anyway, it provided a fascinating look into the scientific mindset.

Best regards,
Ham