Protophysics

Protophysics is a philosophical program based on the methodical foundation of physics. Measuring devices such as a clock are defined according to principles and thus enable a controversial non- empirical access to the fundamentals of physics. The concept of empirical measurement should be prepared with measuring device standards.

introduction

Protophysics is a sub-area of methodical constructivism and ties in with theories of Immanuel Kant and Hugo Dingler . Its elaboration was started by Paul Lorenzen with Peter Janich and Rüdiger Inhetveen in the 1960 / 70s. Protophysics has in common with all prototheories of this methodically well-founded type that they represent an elaboration of knowledge that is already available in pre-scientific or lifeworld contexts, for example in land surveying. Proto-theoretical endeavors of this kind consist in defining this kind of practical knowledge for scientific purposes as far as necessary and possible, bringing it into a methodical order and presenting it in a linguistically coherent way.

Protophysics is sometimes viewed as a direct contribution to physics and not as a mere reconstructive justification of the measurement methods used in physics, but is also ignored or rejected independently of this by the vast majority of physicists. The benefit of protophysics lies in the elaboration of the role and scope of the procedural norms in the construction of physical theories, from which empirically meaningful statements can then be better distinguished.

The first discussions on protophysics arose in the Munich Dingler Circle , which is associated with German Physics because the works of Einstein and others were rejected, in part with anti-Semitic motivation. During the time of the Nazi dictatorship , German physics was seen as the main direction of physics in Germany and important physicists such as Albert Einstein , Lise Meitner and Niels Bohr were attacked and had to emigrate.

Manufacture of measuring devices

The question of the definition of a level is answered pragmatically through the creation of levels. Flat objects are determined using a three-plate grinding process : three plates that fit alternately and with any displacement must be level. In the case of two plates, it could be a concave and a convex spherical surface of the same radius; however, the simultaneous fitting with a third plate excludes this possibility. The rule for creating planes is to grind three panels until the mutual fit is achieved. From this manufacturing standard, for example, it readily follows that a plane merges into itself, no matter how far it is shifted along itself: this is part of the pass condition. Starting from the planes, straight lines are introduced as edges between ground planes, and ultimately a Euclidean geometry is built up from them. In 1969, the provocative book “The Protophysics of Time” by Peter Janich caused scientific excitement and a lively philosophical debate for a short time: A clock is protophysically defined as a clock that is synchronized with its identical copies. Due to the phase-shifted joint ticking of the devices, there is no unevenness. Janich took protophysics even further and, after geometry and chronometry, also dealt with a foundation of mass theory . Paul Lorenzen developed a protophysics of stochastics. Analogous to the level or clock, what is a random generator is operationally defined .

Relationship to the theory of relativity

See also: Critique of the theory of relativity # conventionalism, protophysics

As a protophysicist, Hugo Dingler rejected the special theory of relativity as circular. He was convinced that the Galileo transformation was more fundamental than the Lorentz transformation . - From the perspective of relativistic physics, Dingler's attempt to define planes using the Dingler's three-plate grinding process is anachronistic. The relativity theory leads to a non-Euclidean geometry in which rigid bodies are not assumed in advance .

Today's protophysicists, who want to resolve the aforementioned contradiction to the theory of relativity , argue in the basic physical discussion mostly without denying the empirical results. Paul Lorenzen builds on an early approach by the co-founder of the theory of relativity Hendrik Antoon Lorentz , who interpreted clock dilation as a process dilatation and not as a time dilatation. The notified by Lorentz length contraction is the contraction of the objects and not as a contraction of the geometrical standards viewed. Lorenzen then denies the majority opinion of physicists that the consequence of general relativity is an actual curvature of space-time . Rather, he sees “only” a mathematical description in the metric tensor of Einstein's field equations . Lorenzen interpreted a standard work by Nobel Prize winner Steven Weinberg , which enables an interpretation of the general theory of relativity with classical geometry. The non-Euclidean, relativistic Riemann manifolds are not regarded by the protophysicists as actual geometry , but as an aid to describe the field dynamic effects and the conversions of inertial systems . ${\displaystyle g_{\mu \nu }}$

literature

• Rolf Ascheberg: Critique of the 'Protophysics of Time' and of the 'Logical Propaedeutics' on the Critique of Newer Constructivism. Dissertation, Komzi Verlags GmbH, Idstein 1995
• Gernot Böhme (Ed.): Protophysics - For and against a constructive scientific theory of physics. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1976
• HH von Boreszkowski: Measurement as justification or mediation? An exchange of letters with Paul Lorenzen about protophysics and a few other things. academia Verlag, St. Augustin 1995 ISBN 3883458740
• Hugo Dingler : The method of physics. Reinhardt, Munich 1938
• Dirk Hartmann , Peter Janich : Methodical culturalism. Between naturalism and postmodernism. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1996 (stw 1272)
• Dirk Hartmann, Peter Janich: The cultural turnaround. For orientation of the philosophical self-image. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1998 (stw 1391)
• Rüdiger Inhetveen : Constructive Geometry. A form-theoretical foundation of Euclidean geometry. BI, Mannheim 1983
• Peter Janich: The Protophysics of Time. BI, Mannheim 1969; continued udT The Protophysics of Time. Constructive justification and history of time measurement. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1980 ( theory series ) ISBN 3518064169
• Peter Janich: The technical enforceability of Euclideanity. In: ds. (Ed.): Developments in methodological philosophy. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1992 (stw 979)
• Peter Janich: The measure of all things. Protophysics of space, time and matter. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 2002 (stw 1334) ISBN 3518289349
• Paul Lorenzen : Theory of technical and political reason. Reclam, Stuttgart 1978 (UB No. 9867) ISBN 315009867X (Weinberginterpretation)
• Paul Lorenzen: Basic Concepts of Technical and Political Culture. Twelve posts. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1985 (stw 494)
• Paul Lorenzen: Textbook of the constructive philosophy of science. BI, Mannheim 1987; since 2000 Metzler Stuttgart ISBN 3-476-01784-2
• Paul Lorenzen: Elementary Geometry as the Foundation of Analytical Geometry. BI, Mannheim 1983 ISBN 3-411-00400-2
• J. Pfarr (Ed.): Protophysics and Theory of Relativity. Contributions to the discussion about a constructive scientific theory of physics. BI, Mannheim 1981 (Basics of Exact Natural Sciences Volume 4)
• W. Schonefeld: Protophysics and Special Theory of Relativity. Würzburg 1999 (Epistemata Philosophie Vol. 244) ISBN 3826015932
• Steven Weinberg : Gravitation and Cosmology : Principles and Applications of the General Theory of Relativity. New York 1972 ISBN 0471925675
• J. Willer: Relativity theory and methodological philosophy. In: Peter Janich (Ed.): Developments in methodological philosophy. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt 1992 (stw 979) pp. 240-256

swell

1. ↑ in contrast to the understanding of protoscience of Thomas Samuel Kuhn
2. ↑ s. Eva Jelden (Ed.): Prototheories - Practice and Knowledge? Leipziger Universitätsverlag, Leipzig 1995 (Leipzig writings on philosophy 1)
3. ↑ s. Gereon Wolters : Opportunism as a natural asset. Hugo Dingler and the Third Reich. In: P. Janich (Ed.): Developments in methodological philosophy. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1992, pp. 257–327 and Ulrich Weiß : Hugo Dingler, National Socialism and Judaism. In: P. Janich (Ed.): Science and life. Philosophy in critical examination of Hugo Dingler. Transcript, Bielefeld, 2006
4. ↑ see also here  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )
5. ^ Gravitation and Cosmology (1972)

Web links

• L. Amiras: The Foundations of Geometry in Protophysics: Critical Retrospective and New Perspective.