Albert Einstein’s beguiling statement quoted above revolves around the simple phrase “only a means for expressing the laws that govern phenomena.”
I was struck by that phrase’s humble modesty, and yet I was undone by its alarming profundity.
What fields of study, other than mathematics AND possibly physics, “express the laws that govern phenomena? What could be more rigorous, again, assuming that rigor is even relevant to this inquiry?
Don’t other fields, unlike mathematics and physics, all by-pass “the laws that govern phenomena,” merely focusing on the phenomena, themselves? Medicine studies the human body. Geology studies the earth.
There must be other means of expression! Otherwise, Einstein would not have made that statement.
I do here note that Sir Isaac Newton, Einstein’s 17th century predecessor and hero, wrote more about that Bible than he did about mathematics and physics. Newton is the imputed discoverer of “gravity.” Perhaps, Sir Isaac in his PRINCIPIA MATHEMATICA was tracking “laws” of God in his mystifying ‘Scolia.’ Perhaps, Sir Isaac knew that phenomena are our daily bread and that laws behind such are inscrutable.
“An expression of one thing is the exclusion of another” is a Latin maxim from law school, frequently used as a rule of construction to determine the meaning of ambiguous sentences or language. There is nothing whatsoever ambiguous about Einstein’s sentence, however; its plain meaning is perfectly clear.
“Laws that govern phenomena” means “laws” that are valid both on and off of the Earth. “Phenomenon” is a materialization of laws. “Phenomena” are astral and interstellar, as well as terrestrial and microbial, as well infinite and infinitesimal. Universal laws that we humans recognize are: gravity, weak nuclear force, strong nuclear force, and electromagnetism. We suspect, and steadily search for, more such laws.
Sunrise, sunset, waves, wind, the elements, the rotation and revolution of the spheres: these too are only phenomena, products and by products of these presumed universal laws, not the actual laws themselves.
In short, “laws that govern phenomena” are not the “phenomena,” themselves. They are laws that precede and produce the phenomena.
Perhaps, a better answer to Einstein troubling assertion is to say: “Everything is a means for expressing the laws that govern phenomena.”
#30
Friday, October 3, 2014
MATHEMATICS IS ONLY A MEANS OF EXPRESSING THE LAWS THAT GOVERN PHENOMENA
“Mathematics is only a means for expressing the laws that govern phenomena.”
Monday, June 17, 2013
Edited: Friday, October 03, 2014
By Rev. Dr. Larry Delano Coleman
Albert Einstein’s beguiling statement quoted above revolves around the simple phrase “only a means for expressing the laws that govern phenomena.”
I was struck by that phrase’s humble modesty, and yet I was undone by its alarming profundity.
What fields of study, other than mathematics AND possibly physics, “express the laws that govern phenomena? What could be more rigorous, again, assuming that rigor is even relevant to this inquiry?
Don’t other fields, unlike mathematics and physics, all by-pass “the laws that govern phenomena,” merely focusing on the phenomena, themselves? Medicine studies the human body. Geology studies the earth.
There must be other means of expression! Otherwise, Einstein would not have made that statement.
I do here note that Sir Isaac Newton, Einstein’s 17th century predecessor and hero, wrote more about that Bible than he did about mathematics and physics. Newton is the imputed discoverer of “gravity.” Perhaps, Sir Isaac in his PRINCIPIA MATHEMATICA was tracking “laws” of God in his mystifying ‘Scolia.’ Perhaps, Sir Isaac knew that phenomena are our daily bread and that laws behind such are inscrutable.
“An expression of one thing is the exclusion of another” is a Latin maxim from law school, frequently used as a rule of construction to determine the meaning of ambiguous sentences or language. There is nothing whatsoever ambiguous about Einstein’s sentence, however; its plain meaning is perfectly clear.
“Laws that govern phenomena” means “laws” that are valid both on and off of the Earth. “Phenomenon” is a materialization of laws. “Phenomena” are astral and interstellar, as well as terrestrial and microbial, as well infinite and infinitesimal. Universal laws that we humans recognize are: gravity, weak nuclear force, strong nuclear force, and electromagnetism. We suspect, and steadily search for, more such laws.
Sunrise, sunset, waves, wind, the elements, the rotation and revolution of the spheres: these too are only phenomena, products and by products of these presumed universal laws, not the actual laws themselves.
In short, “laws that govern phenomena” are not the “phenomena,” themselves. They are laws that precede and produce the phenomena.
Perhaps, a better answer to Einstein troubling assertion is to say: “Everything is a means for expressing the laws that govern phenomena.”
#30
Albert Einstein’s beguiling statement quoted above revolves around the simple phrase “only a means for expressing the laws that govern phenomena.”
I was struck by that phrase’s humble modesty, and yet I was undone by its alarming profundity.
What fields of study, other than mathematics AND possibly physics, “express the laws that govern phenomena? What could be more rigorous, again, assuming that rigor is even relevant to this inquiry?
Don’t other fields, unlike mathematics and physics, all by-pass “the laws that govern phenomena,” merely focusing on the phenomena, themselves? Medicine studies the human body. Geology studies the earth.
There must be other means of expression! Otherwise, Einstein would not have made that statement.
I do here note that Sir Isaac Newton, Einstein’s 17th century predecessor and hero, wrote more about that Bible than he did about mathematics and physics. Newton is the imputed discoverer of “gravity.” Perhaps, Sir Isaac in his PRINCIPIA MATHEMATICA was tracking “laws” of God in his mystifying ‘Scolia.’ Perhaps, Sir Isaac knew that phenomena are our daily bread and that laws behind such are inscrutable.
“An expression of one thing is the exclusion of another” is a Latin maxim from law school, frequently used as a rule of construction to determine the meaning of ambiguous sentences or language. There is nothing whatsoever ambiguous about Einstein’s sentence, however; its plain meaning is perfectly clear.
“Laws that govern phenomena” means “laws” that are valid both on and off of the Earth. “Phenomenon” is a materialization of laws. “Phenomena” are astral and interstellar, as well as terrestrial and microbial, as well infinite and infinitesimal. Universal laws that we humans recognize are: gravity, weak nuclear force, strong nuclear force, and electromagnetism. We suspect, and steadily search for, more such laws.
Sunrise, sunset, waves, wind, the elements, the rotation and revolution of the spheres: these too are only phenomena, products and by products of these presumed universal laws, not the actual laws themselves.
In short, “laws that govern phenomena” are not the “phenomena,” themselves. They are laws that precede and produce the phenomena.
Perhaps, a better answer to Einstein troubling assertion is to say: “Everything is a means for expressing the laws that govern phenomena.”
#30