Quine i Gödel. Jeszcze o ontologicznych interpretacjach fizycznych teorii

Abstract

Quine’s idea of semantic interpretations of physical theories is briefly reviewed. Physical theories are ontologically engaged through mathematical structures they employ. In this case, mathematics can be regarded as a longuage of physics. It is noticed that Quine’s semantic interpretations of physical theories can be separated from his radical empiricism. The simplest answer to the question: Why are some mathematical structures so efficient in physical theories is: Because they correctly approximate the structure of the world. These considerations imply a method of interpreting physical theories (or models). As an example Gödel’s idealistic interpretation of his own cosmological model (the one with closed timelike curves) is critically examined.