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    Many paths to enlightenment

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    Many Paths to Enlightenment

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    Many paths to enlightenment

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    19 views1 page

    Many Paths To Enlightenment

    Uploaded by

    mahiyagi
    Many paths to enlightenment

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 1
    millennium essay Many paths to enlightenment Modem physics bears the imprint of Wester and Asian philosophies. ‘Susantha Goonatilake ‘discovery ofthe physics of relativity ‘and quantum mechanics meant that the process of observation had to be radically eorientated, Relativity deemed all ‘observational platforms to be equivalent, whereas in the quantum world, the act of, ‘observation itself changes the field of obser- vation. The key theorists in the two realms, Albert Einstein and Exwin Schrodinger, ‘were both deeply influenced by philosophy. Einstein aadbeen reading they ‘David Hume and Ernst Mach just before he ‘wrote his paper on special relativity. Their ‘work helped to prepare the ground for Ein- stein’ theories — he expressly credited Mach with influencing his thinking on special rla- tivity, and wanted general relativity to con- form to Machis ideas. Einstein used Machis principles to discount as a non-veriGable ‘notion the possiblity of wo events happening simultaneously at different pointsinspace. In quantum physics — where common sense again breaks down —new philosophi- ‘al insights are needed to transcend New- ton’s classical world. Schrodinger, whose ‘equation defined the behaviour of particles and wavesat the microscopiclevel, wasinglu- ‘encedby Machand Arthur Schopenhauer. In addition, declared himself a “Vedantist,a category of Hindu philosopher. Einstein and Schrodinger’s influences resonated with south Asian philosophy. ‘Both Hume and Mach believed thatthe self ‘was a transient observational platform — ‘Buddhists hold almost exactly the same view, Several commentators have noted the simi- larities between the thoughts of David Hume ‘and Buddhism on the idea of the self. The philosopher Nolan Pliny Jacobson has ‘observed that in both these philosophical viewpoints, which are separated by more than 2,000 years, “there is no thinker but the thoughts, no perceiver but the perceptions, zo craver but the: rhe similarity ig striking’, Jacobson's explanation for these parallels was the influence of Chinese culture on Europe during Hume's lifetime, ‘whichled tothe spread of Buddhist ideas. Mach, on the other hand, discovered ‘Buddhism via Indian ideas. Some of his {friends suchasPaul Carusand Theodor Beer, were Buddhists, and he contributed to Carus’ journals The Open Court and The _Monist, is first direct appreciation of aBud-

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