The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World (ePub)

British physicist David Deutsch is not only one of the founders of the theory of quantum computing, but also a philosopher who seeks to comprehend the "eternal questions" of mankind in the context set by the development of science. The core question of this book is: Is there a limit to human progress? The answer is expressed in the title: we stand at the beginning of an endless path along which our universal mind will lead us, putting forward conjectures and subjecting them to criticism. We embarked on this path in the Enlightenment, but it is easy to stray from it under the influence of erroneous philosophical ideas, to which the author lists many currents of thought - from positivism to postmodernism, not to mention religion. An example of a departure from the path of reason in science is his Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. Deutsch sees a reasonable alternative to it in the interpretation of Everett, from which follows the picture of the world as a multiverse. But the scope of the author's interests is not limited to science. Based on the ideas of Karl Popper and the concept of rational explanation, Deutsch formulates a theory of knowledge, from which he deduces the existence of objective truth in ethics and aesthetics, as well as political principles that promote unlimited progress.