QUANTUM METAPHYSICS - E-thesis

made to return all events to some influential material causes in space-time. The concept of force
and cause could almost be identified, but the structure of quantum mechanics can no longer be
directly adapted to a reality presumed to be particle-mechanistic. Quantum theory's state function
can be thought of as referring to something that is outside space-time.
In modern physics, the important laws of conservation are governed by simple symmetrical
principles. Specific quantities remain unchanged as space is translated, revolved or reflected. The
laws of conservation control and restrict natural events, but as Herman Weyl said in his
Symmetry: "The truth as we see it today is this: The laws of nature do not determine uniquely the
one world that actually exists". These symmetrical principles may lead to many asymmetrical
outcomes: as soon as a system has symmetry, a good chance arises that the symmetry may break.
Symmetry breakage gives rise to the growth of complexity in the universe by generating
outcomes that are more complicated than the laws themselves. 763
If the growth in the complexity of the different phenomena observed in nature and qualitative
development are to be reduced to spontaneously occurring symmetry breakages in specific
fundamental symmetries, it appears that reality may be thought of as having two levels. Eternal
symmetries, i.e. the invariant level of specific global characteristics or forms of nature, and the
time-varying reality observed by humans which results from breakages in it. This form and
matter combining, bi-level differentiation is reminiscent of the solutions at which Plato and
Aristotle arrived when attempting to position humans and real change in the more or less “static”
reality portrayed by the pre-Socratic natural scientists.
With the help of modern physics, it should be possible to obtain a much clearer picture of the
changing world of observations in which humans operate and its connection with the unchanging
fundamental properties of nature. Bohr’s viewpoint concerning the active role of human beings is
also compatible with the emerging understanding concerning symmetries and complex systems.
When a symmetry breaks, very tiny asymmetries presumably play a crucial role in selecting the
actual outcome from the range of potential results allowed by natural law. I believe there is no
point in denying that human beings are also very much able to generate some of these symmetry
breakages. The element of freedom is compatible with the idea of a lawful cosmos. At the scale
of the whole universe the influence of our choices may be minor, but the quality of our local
neighbourhood depends decisively on our own actions, and these are, quite naturally, affected
762 Kaila 1939.
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