Parts and Whole (Revised and Enlarged Edition)

Author Werner Heisenberg · Publisher Circus (Circus Publishing House) · Published 2023-06-15 · ISBN 9791187295686

About the Book

The development of quantum mechanics led to a re-examination of existing concepts in the mental sciences. The uncertainty principle shook Kant's absolute concept of causality and led Einstein to protest, "God does not play dice," and even after quantum mechanics was accepted as an axiom of physics, like Newtonian mechanics and the theory of special relativity, it ultimately prevented him from accepting quantum mechanics as anything more than provisional. New knowledge about the microscopic atomic world, which lies beyond the realm of human experience, now poses a fundamental question to all disciplines about the meaning of "understanding."

Heisenberg argued that scholarship is a human endeavor and that it is born through conversations among people. By emphasizing this obvious and self-evident premise at the beginning of the book, he structures the entire book as conversations between people, demonstrating how scholarly activity takes place. Beyond scholarly activity, the book presents fascinating and thoughtful discussions on Hitler's rise to power, the two World Wars, and the development of the atomic bomb, which were political issues of his time, as well as on religion, philosophy, history, and politics, offering a moving encounter between scientific thought and complex reality.

This official Korean edition of <Physics and Beyond> meticulously translates the latest German original, includes a review by a specialist, and adds footnotes to aid understanding of the content. Unfamiliar physics and philosophical terms are explained in accessible language for the general public, and the vivid conversational style enhances readability. The commentary provides supplementary explanations of the overall theme along with other aspects of the author Heisenberg's life that were omitted in the book, and a chronology outlines the general development of quantum mechanics.

For those who wish to contemplate the world we live in, and our lives that surround us, live within that world, and influence it, this book will serve as a reliable guide to scholarship, thought, and life.

Table of Contents

Preface

1 My First Encounter with Atomic Theory (1919-1920)
2 Deciding to Study Physics (1920)
3 The Concept of 'Understanding' in Modern Physics (1920-1922)
4 Lessons in Politics and History (1922-1924)
5 Quantum Mechanics and Conversations with Einstein (1925-1926)
6 Journey to the New World (1926-1927)
7 First Conversation on the Relationship Between Natural Science and Religion (1927)
8 Atomic Physics and Pragmatic Thinking (1929)
9 Conversations on the Relationship Between Biology, Physics, and Chemistry (1930-1932)
10 Quantum Mechanics and Kantian Philosophy (1930-1932)
11 Conversations on Language (1933)
12 Revolution and University Life (1933)
13 The Possibilities of Atomic Technology and Discussions on Elementary Particles (1935-1937)
14 Individual Actions in a Political Catastrophe (1937-1941)
15 Towards a New Beginning (1941-1945)
16 The Responsibility of the Scientist (1945-1950)
17 Positivism, Metaphysics, and Religion (1952)
18 Political Debates and Scientific Debates (1956-1957)
19 Unified Field Theory (1957-1958)
20 Elementary Particles and Platonic Philosophy (1961-1965)

Nobel Lecture: The Development of Quantum Mechanics
Commentary
Chronology of Atomic Physics Related to <Physics and Beyond>
Translator's Postscript