Masks of the universe: changing ideas on the nature of the cosmos PDF
Preview Masks of the universe: changing ideas on the nature of the cosmos
Masks of the Universe ChangingIdeasontheNatureoftheCosmos TotheancientGreekstheuniverseconsistedofearth,air,fire,and water.ToSaintAugustineitwastheWordofGod.Tomanymodern scientistsitisthedanceofatomsandwaves,andinyearstocomeit maybedifferentagain.WhatthenistherealUniverse?Historyshows thatineveryageeachsocietyconstructsitsownuniverse,believingit tobetherealandfinalUniverse.Yeteachuniverseisonlyamodelor maskoftheunknownUniverse.Thisbookbringstogetherfundamental scientific,philosophical,andreligiousissuesincosmology,raising thought-provokingquestions.Ineveryagepeoplehavepitiedthe universesoftheirancestors,convincedthattheyhaveatlastdiscovered theultimatetruth.Dowenowstandatthethresholdofknowing everything,orwillourlatestmodel,likealltherest,bepitiedbyour descendants? EdwardHarrisonisEmeritusDistinguishedProfessorofPhysicsand AstronomyattheUniversityofMassachusetts,andadjunctProfessorof AstronomyattheStewardObservatory,UniversityofArizona.Hewas bornandeducatedinEngland,andservedforseveralyearsintheBritish ArmyduringWorldWarII.HewasprincipalscientistattheAtomic EnergyResearchEstablishmentandRutherfordHighEnergyLaboratory until1966,whenhebecameaFiveCollegeProfessorattheUniversityof Massachusetts,andtaughtatAmhert,Hampshire,MountHolyoke,and SmithColleges.Hehaswrittenseveralbooks,includingCosmology: TheScienceoftheUniverse,alsopublishedbyCambridgeUniversity Press,andhaspublishedhundredsoftechnicalpapersinphysicsand astronomyjournals. Masks of the Universe Changing Ideas on the Nature of the Cosmos edward harrison UniversityofArizona Second edition Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge , United Kingdom Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521773515 © First edition Macmillan Publishing Company 1985 © Second edition Cambridge University Press 2003 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2003 - ---- eBook (NetLibrary) - --- eBook (NetLibrary) - ---- hardback - --- hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of s for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Contents Preface pagevii 1 IntroducingtheMasks 1 Part I WorldsintheMaking 2 TheMagicUniverse 15 3 TheMythicUniverse 29 4 TheGeometricUniverse 45 5 TheMedievalUniverse 61 6 TheInfiniteUniverse 81 7 TheMechanisticUniverse 101 Part II TheHeartDivine 8 DanceoftheAtomsandWaves 123 9 FabricofSpaceandTime 141 10 WhatThenisTime? 163 11 NearertotheHeart’sDesire 173 12 TheCosmicTide 193 13 DoDreamsComeTrue? 213 vi contents Part III TheCloudofUnknowing 14 TheWitchUniverse 235 15 TheSpearofArchytas 249 16 UltimumSentiens 265 17 AllThatisMade 275 18 TheCloudofUnknowing 289 19 LearnedIgnorance 305 Bibliography 311 Index 325 Preface IntheprefacetothefirsteditionofMasksofUniverseIwrote: “AtfirstIthoughtthisbookwouldtakemeonlyafewmonthsto write.Afterall,thebasicideawassimple,andonlyafewwords shouldsufficetomakeitclearandconvincing.Butsoonthisillusion wasshattered.Afewmonthsgrewintothreeyears,andnowIrealize thatthirtyyearswouldnotsuffice.Butenough!Otherworkpresses, andlifeistooshort.”HereIam,notthirtyyearsbutalmosttwo decadeslaterwritingtheprefacetothesecondeditionandstruggling againtomakeclearthe“simpleidea.” TheidearestsonthedistinctionbetweenUniverseand universes.TheUniversebydefinitioniseverythingandincludesus experiencingandthinkingaboutit.Theuniversesarethemodelsof theUniversethatweconstructtoexplainourobservationsand experiences.Beneaththedeceptivesimplicityofthisidealies alittle-exploredrealmofthought. Nopersoncanliveinasocietyofintelligentmembersunless equippedwithgrandideasoftheworldaround.Thesegrand ideas–orcosmicformulations–establishtheuniverseinwhichthat societylives.Theuniversesthathumanbeingsdeviseandinwhich theylive,orbelievetheylive,organizeandgivemeaningtotheir experiences.Wherethereisasocietyofintelligentbeings(not necessarilyintelligentbyourstandards),therewefindarational universe(notnecessarilyrationalbyourstandards);wherethereis auniverse,therewefindasociety.Theuniversesarethemasksof theUniverse.TheunmaskedUniverseitself,however,remains foreverbeyondfullhumancomprehension. TheUniverseiseverythingandincludesusthinkingaboutit. Weare,infact,theUniversethinkingaboutitself.Howcanwe,who viii preface areonlyaverylimitedpartoraspect,comprehendthewhole? Modestyalonesuggestswecannotinanyabsolutesense.We comprehendinsteadauniversethatwehaveourselvesconceptually devised:amodeloftheunknownUniverse. HistoryshowsthattheUniverseispatientofmany interpretations.Eachinterpretationisamodel–auniverse–amask fittedonthefacelessUniverse.Everyhumansocietyhasits universe.TheEgyptian,Babylonian,Zoroastrian,Aristotelian, Epicurean,Stoic,Neoplatonic,Medieval,Newtonian,Victorian universesareexamples. Eachuniverseinitsdaystandsasanawe-inspiring“reality,” yeteachisdoomedtobesupersededbyanotherandperhapsgrander “reality.”Eachisaframeworkofconceptsthatexplainswhatis observedanddetermineswhatissignificant.Eachorganizeshuman experienceandshapeshumanthought.Themembersofasociety believeinthetruthoftheiruniverseandmistakeitalwaysforthe Universe.Prophetsproclaimit,religionsauthenticateit,empires glorifyit,andwarspromoteit.Ineachuniversetheendof knowledgeloomsinsight.Alwaysonlyafewthingsremaintobe discovered.Wepitytheuniversesofourancestorsandforgetthat ourdescendantswillpityusforthesamereason. Incosmologyintheancientworldphilosophicalissues dominated.IntheMiddleAgestheologicalissuesrankedforemost. Inrecenttimesastronomyandthephysicalscienceshavetakenover andphilosophicalissuesconcerningthecosmosnowreceivescant attention.Yetthecleararticulationsofmodernsciencehavebrought intosharperfocusthaneverbeforestillunresolvedphilosophicaland theologicalproblems. Forexample,considerthecontainmentriddle(seeCosmology: TheScienceoftheUniverse).Thecurrentuniverse(actuallyany universe),whichsupposedlyisall-inclusive,containsus contemplatingthatparticularuniverse.Butthisleadsintoan infiniteregression:theuniversecontainsuscontemplatingthe universethatcontainsuscontemplatingtheuniversethat preface ix contains...,andsoon,indefinitely.Theriddleissolvedbystressing thedistinctionbetweenUniverseanduniverse.Thus:TheUniverse, whichbydefinitionisall-inclusive,containsuscontemplatingthe currentuniverse.Thereisnownoregressionfortheimagedoes notcontaintheimage-maker.Theuniversecontainsonly representationsofusintheformofbodiesandbrains,whereasour contemplativemindswiththeirconsciousnessandfreewillareof theUniverseandmakenosubstantialandexplicitcontributionto themakeupofourdeterministicuniverses.Whatisnotcontainedin auniversesisnotnecessarilynonexistent. Theneweditionismostlyrewrittenandincludestwonew chapters,oneontime(tentativelyforeseeingpossiblefuturechanges inourunderstandingoftime),andtheotherontheultimum sentiens(astudyofwhoorwhatactuallydoestheperceiving). IamgratefultotheInstituteofAstronomy,Cambridge University,forhospitality,andtheUniversityofMassachusettsfora FacultyFellowshipthatenabledmetocompletethefirstedition. Iamgratefultoliterallyhundredsofpeoplefortheirvaluable comments,andalsoIamindebtedtomanyoldfriends,including VereChappel,JohnRoberts,CarlSwanson,OswaldTippo,andPeter Websterfortheircommentsoncertainideas,andtoMichaelArbib, ThomasArny,LeroyCook,JayDemerath,SeymourEpstein, LaurenceMarschall,GordonSutton,DavidVanBlerkom,and RichardZiemackifortheirhelpfulcommentsonvariouschapters. Finally,Iacknowledgegratefullytheinsightfulcommentsmadeby mywifePhoteni,sonPeter,anddaughterJuneHarrison.
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