In Search of Divine Reality: Science as a Source of Inspiration

254 Pages·1997·1.566 MB·English

by  Lothar Schäfer

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I s
n earch of
ivine
D
Reality
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I s
n earch of
Divine
Reality
s s I
cience as a ource of nspiration
Lothar Schäfer
TheUNIVERSITYof
ARKANSAS PRESS
Fayetteville 
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Copyright © 99by Lothar Schäfer
All rights reserved
         
Designed by A. G. Carter
• The paper used in this publication meets the minimum
requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence
of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z9.-9.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Schäfer, Lothar, 99–
In search of divine reality : science as a source of inspiration / Lothar Schäfer.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN---X(cloth : alk. paper). — ISBN---(pbk. : alk. paper)
. Physics—Philosophy. . Transcendentalism. . Quantum theory. . God.
I. Title.
B.S 99
—dc
9-9
CIP
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t
o our children,
n N
icole and athalie,
c s
with hris and cott
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing this book has given me unabated happiness. After strug-
gling with its conception for decades—helplessly for most of the
time—all of a sudden it wrote itself. Gabriele, companion of a
life time, was the benign force that made the process possible.
Words cannot express my deep gratitude for her gentle love and
selfless support.
No author has ever had a more understanding and helpful
reader than I have had in Miller Williams, and I thank him for
his passionate involvement. Countless thanks are also due to
Debbie Self, for her expert guidance; to Collis Geren, dean of the
Graduate School at Fayetteville and untiring servant to his faculty;
to Elizabeth Payne, director of honors at Fayetteville, and Bernie
Madison, dean of Arts and Sciences, for their support; to Susan
Newton, for her competent and incessant help with details, partic-
ularly some of the figures; to Khamis Siam, for introducing me
to the wonderful members of the Kansas Community College
Math and Science Conferences at Pittsburg State Univer sity;
to Diane Blair, Jim Blair, David Dubbell, John Ewbank, John
Harrison, Mike Lieber, Erich Paulus, and Peter Pulay, for their
friendship and stimulating discussions; and last but always first,
to all my students who patiently listened to my thoughts and
helped them grow.
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CONTENTS
Preface

Introduction

Part 1
In Search of
the Transcendental Elements
of Human Knowledge
The Non-Rational and Non-Empirical
Elements in Rational/Empirical Knowledge
Chapter 1 The Composite Nature of Knowledge 
The Conceptual Foundations of Science 
Establishing Facts 
The Theorem of the Threefold Basis
of Knowledge 
The Transformation of Hume’s Problem by the
Involvement of the Self-Conscious Mind 
Transcendental Knowledge 
Part 2
In Search of
Transcendental Physical Reality
The Non-Material, Non-Real, Non-Local, and
Mind-like Components of Physical Reality
Chapter 2 The Wave-Particle Duality 
Waves and Particles 
The Conceptual Consequences 
Transcendental Reality 