The Search for a

More General Theory

​

TOWARD A POST-SCIENTIFIC

THERMODYNAMIC ENGINEERING PARADIGM

 

The new 20th century physics and 

philosophy of science undermined

the classical scientific worldview.

​

What's next?

Terry Bristol

 The Research Program

The Paradigm Shift

The history of the new 20th century physics and philosophy of science is the story of how the embrace of complementarity has forced a paradigm shift to a more general post-objectivist view of the nature of reality and our role in it.

The New Philosophy of Engineering

Are we detached scientific spectators seeking the mathematical laws determining the inevitable course of events? Or are we embodied participants, engineers, involved in the constructive emergence of realty?

Rethinking the 2nd Law
     Thermodynamics is the core of our understanding of how the universe works. Yet there are two distinct approaches: Carnot's and Boltzmann's.              Carnot's is more general subsuming and superseding Boltzmann's idealizing mechanical model.

Are we detached scientific spectators seeking a mathematical description of a fixed deterministic, objective reality – ‘out there’?

      Or are we embodied participants in an emerging reality seeking to bring about a more desirable future?

      The complementarity in quantum theory empirically demonstrated the limits of objectivity.       

      A parallel path to complementarity arose in the new philosophy of science of Kuhn, Popper, Lakatos and Feyerabend.

      As embodied participants, how are we now to understand reality and our role in it. The emeging paradigm suggests that we have a constructive role in a dynamic emergent reality.

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About Terry    

Terry Bristol is a Philosopher of Science and Engineering who has held teaching positions at Linfield College, Portland State University, and Portland Community College. He has been President of the Institute for Science, Engineering and Public Policy, affiliated with Portland State University since 1987.

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