Physics and Common Sense
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8399003 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Neville Maxwell (0000-0002-2575-5990, University of Manchester, corresponding author), Nicholas Maxwell (0000-0002-6132-2471) |
| Year | 1966 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 64 |
| Pages | 295-311 |
| Publication date | 1966-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-0882 • E-ISSN: 1464-3537 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/bjps/xvi.64.295 |
| OpenAlex | W2067849193 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
In this paper I set out to solve the problem of how the world as we experience it, full of colours and other sensory qualities, and our inner experiences, can be reconciled with physics. I discuss and reject the views of J. J. C. Smart and Rom Harré. I argue that physics is concerned only to describe a selected aspect of all that there is – the causal aspect which determines how events evolve. Colours and other sensory qualities, lacking causal efficacy, are ignored by physics and cannot be predicted by physical theory. Even though physics is silent about sensory qualities, they nevertheless exist objectively in the world – in one sense of “objective” at least.
Epistemology · Philosophy of science · Epistemology, Ethics, and Metaphysics · History and Philosophy of Science · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science · Philosophy and Theoretical Science
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,09 |
| Citation span | 1993 - 2014 (22) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |