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Introduction
Isaac Newton,' being unable to explain the cause of gravity, drew an im-
portant distinction between Science and Natural Philosophy: Science, according
to Newton, deals with mathematical relationships between results of observa-
tions, whereas Natural Philosophy is concerned also with underlying essences.
Einstein adopted the same stance in his formulation of the special theory of
relativity, when he analyzed spacetime relations in terms of mathematical con-
nections between observations. The founders of quantum theory also adhered
to this conception of science when they affirmed, in the words of Bohr,3 that
"strictly speaking, the mathematical formalism of quantum theory ... merely
rs rules of calculation for the deduction of expectations about observations
obtained under well-defined experimental conditions specified by classical phys-
ical concepts".
In view of this strong and successful tradition in science, which, in fact,
is almost a characterization of what science actually is, any suggestion that
scientists should attempt to peer behind the mathematical connections between
observations and speak about underlying essences should be approached with
caution.
Each of the three scientists cited above was also a Natural Philosopher,
holding a deep interest not only in science, but also in the implications of sci-
entific discoveries upon our ideas about the nature of the world in which we
live. Indeed, the whole scientific attitude mandates that, in our search for an
understanding of the nature of the universe, and our role in it, we extract as
much information as possible from our successful scientific theories, construed
as repositories of empirical findings.
In this broader context it becomes interesting and important to formulate
conceptions of Nature that are at least compatible with our principal scientific
theories. This task is not a trivial one, for the constraints imposed by quantum
theory are not easily satisfied. One is forced into conceptions of the universe
that are radically different from the ones suggested by the physical theories
that prevailed at the beginning of this century. Those classical ideas about the
nature of the universe, and of man's role in it, had a profound effect upon our1
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Stapp, Henry P. Quantum ontologies, article, December 1, 1988; California. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1208258/m1/4/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.