Jan 18, 2009

Philosophy in science

Change is the only constant; constant development and transformation, explosiveness and changeability, all based on the struggle of opposites, drives forward the entire world.
This change or advancement in different forms of matter is through contradictions within them; whether it is contradiction of hydrogen nuclei in sun, contradiction of adaptability and heredity or contradiction of human thoughts. The latter contradiction is not itself of matter but of consciousness; particular quality of matter which developed as the life originated in organic matter. This contradiction is source for knowledge; clash between opposite ideas and struggle to resolve the contradiction is lifeblood of knowledge. The struggle of contending theories advances the level of human understanding; with one theory negating other and finally subsuming it. Einstein’s theory, for example, first overthrew and then subsumed the accepted view of universe developed by Isaac Newton.
To explain a phenomenon one must recognize the contradictory, mutually exclusive, and opposite tendencies; this is the way of science and the way of Marxism: dialectical materialism. One has his own methodology to approach all phenomena around him; this methodology is developed by philosophy.
Today when all around the world, there is a dominance of non-dialectical philosophies, and Scientists also; being a part of this world ; lack the philosophy of dialectical materialism in their approach and this has hindered the further development of science. They lack to identify the contradictions and their interdependence, and generally come to wrong conclusions. One such wrong interpretation was the theory of thermal death of universe.
PARADOX OF THERMAL DEATH
In 1854 Helmholtz pointed out in a lecture that second law of thermodynamics implies that the whole universe will eventually reach in a state of uniform temperature and “from this point onwards, universe will be in the state of eternal rest”. Thus was born the thesis of thermal death of universe.
Its theoretical basis is thermodynamics. According to second law of thermodynamics, in nature, the direction of flow of heat is spontaneous from a hot body to a cold body. By spontaneity we mean processes occurring in nature. When Helmholtz applied this law to universe, he assumed universe to be isolated and concluded that the whole universe would eventually evolve spontaneously from a state of thermal non equilibrium to one of thermal equilibrium. But today we know that no such thermal death of universe will occur and it was just a paradox.
The reason for this paradox was the wrong methodological approach to the problem. This methodology has its philosophical origin in metaphysics, which is unable to identify the actual contradictions and views the phenomenon in isolation.
The right way to view it is given by Marxism, the view of dialectical materialism. As Engels said, “in motion of heavenly bodies there is motion in equilibrium and equilibrium in motion”. No equilibrium is permanent only temporary equilibrium exists which is in motion itself. “All equilibrium is only relative and temporary”, Engels wrote. Until the end of 19th century, no explanation of the paradox of thermal death was given.
The solution to the paradox was solved considering the universal gravitational effect, which showed that the whole universe will never come to equilibrium; and all equilibria are temporary.
“In sun there is no equilibrium of various substances, only of mass as whole, or at any rate only a very restricted one determined by considerable differences of density; on the surface there is eternal motion and unrest, dissociation. On the moon, equilibrium appears to prevail exclusively, without any relative motion-death (moon = negativity). On earth motion has become differentiated into interchange of motion and equilibrium, the individual motion strives towards equilibrium, the motion as a whole once again destroys the individual equilibrium”- Engels
Scientists were not able to interpret the result when they applied second law of thermodynamics to universe and paradox of thermal death arose, this is not only one example list is quite long, what we need today is to understand the importance of correct philosophy, philosophy of dialectical materialism.
Today it is our responsibility to equip ourselves with the philosophy of dialectical materialism and apply it to our society, which is the basis of our life, to change the existing corroded, anti-people system and hence shed all barriers in the path of advancement of science.

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