科学理论的评价标准问题——基于数学与物理学关系的新图景

进入21世纪以来,一场新的量子革命正在悄然兴起,人类对自然的认识以及人类社会的发展趋向将因此发生深刻改变。在基础理论层面,科学家正试图构建自然界的大统一理论;在应用层面,量子信息、量子通信、量子计算机等领域正在引领一场新的技术革命。新的量子革命将对人类社会产生重大影响,迫切需要进行哲学上的反思和审视,也必将促进哲学自身的变革和突破。为此,本刊编辑部特邀请国家社会科学基金重大项目"当代量子论与新科学哲学的兴起"的五位主要参与人,对新的量子革命进行观照与反思。山西大学科学技术史研究所教授高策和讲师乔笑斐,提出"后真相时代的科学哲学"这一新概念,认为在新的量子革命大背景下,传统哲学中的时间、空间、物质等基本概念的内涵发生了深刻变化,并对科学分界问题、范式问题和研究纲领问题给出了初步讨论。华南理工大学哲学与科技高等研究所教授吴国林认为,量子理论的一个根本特征是"超验",它既超过经验,又不离开经验,且使经验成为可能。量子诠释的真理是实践本体论的真理与实践认识论的真理的统一。上海社会科学院教授成素梅认为,量子化假设的确立打破了"物质无限可分"和"自然界是不连续"的常识观念,摧毁了在此基础上形成的概念框架的准确应用。深入到量子理论的基本假设中揭示其发出的哲学宣言,是一项基础而迫切的工作。山西大学科学技术哲学研究中心副教授程瑞认为,20世纪后半叶以来,当代科学的理论实践展示了一幅全新的数学物理学关系图景。数学和物理学结构上的同构性、认识论的镜像性以及二者之间的整体性关系特征成为物理学前沿领域科学理论评价标准重建的认识论基础。当然,学界对于四篇文章中的一些观点和提法可能还存在不同意见。我们组织本组专题文章,目的就在于推动从哲学视角审视当代量子理论的工作进一步拓展和深入,期待学界能够在激烈的争鸣与交锋中,产生更多对于当代量子理论和当代哲学发展具有重要启发意义的研究成果。

With the advent of the 21 st century,a new quantum revolution has silently come to the fore,to the accompaniment of profound changes in our understanding of nature and in the development of human society.At the level of fundamental theory,scientists are seeking to construct a grand unified theory of nature,and at the level of applied science,quantum information,quantum communication,and the quantum computer are leading a technological revolution.The new quantum revolution will have an important influence on human society,making us turn to philosophical reflection and scrutiny and promoting changes and breakthroughs in philosophy itself.For this reason,the Editorial Department of this journal has invited five of the participants in"Contemporary Quantum Theory and the Rise of a New Scientific Philosophy,"a major project of the National Social Science Fund of China,to comment and reflect on the new quantum revolution.Professor Gao Ce and lecturer Qiao Xiaofei,of the Institute for the History of Science and Technology of Shanxi University,put forward a new concept,"Scientific philosophy in the post-truth era. "Taking the view that in the context of the new quantum revolution,the connotations of such basic concepts as time,space,and matter are undergoing profound changes,they provide a preliminary discussion of the issues of scientific boundaries,paradigms,and research programs.Professor Wu Guolin of the Institute for Advanced Study of Philosophy and Technology of South China University of Technology holds that the basic feature of quantum theory is"transcendence" :it goes beyond experience,but doesn't depart from experience;rather,it makes experience possible.The truth of quantum interpretation unifies the truths of the ontology and epistemology of practice.Professor Cheng Sumei,of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences,puts forward the view that the establishment of the quantization hypothesis undermines the common ideas that"matter is infinitely divisible "and"nature is discontinuous," and thus destroys the precise application of the conceptual framework built on these theories.Exploring the basic hypotheses of quantum theory and revealing its philosophical manifesto is a fundamental and urgent task.Associate Professor Cheng Rui at the Shanxi University Research Center for Philosophy of Science and Technology holds that since the last half of the 20 th century,contemporary scientific theory and practice opens a completely new schema for the relationship mathematics and physics. The isomorphism of the structure of mathematics and physics,the enantiomorphism of epistemology and the features of their holistic relationship have become the epistemological foundation of the reconstruction of standards for the evaluation of cutting-edge theories in physics.Of course,scholars may have different views on the ideas and propositions in these four papers.Our aim in organizing this special issue is to advance research on contemporary quantum theory from the perspective of philosophy.We welcome further illuminating research findings on contemporary quantum theory and the development of contemporary philosophy in an atmosphere of vigorous debate and clashes of ideas.