International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 16 (1):27 – 37 (2002)
| Abstract |
Einstein's theories of special and general relativity are unanimously praised by scientists for their extraordinary beauty to the extent that some consider the latter to be the most beautiful theory in physics. The grounds for these assertions are assessed here and it is concluded that the beauty of Einstein's theories can be attributed to two of their aspects. The first is that they incorporate all possible ingredients that constitute the beauty of theories: simplicity, symmetry, invariance, unification, etc. The second concerns the perfect logical consistency of Einstein's theories, a crucial factor in the unanimous praise of their beauty. Theories other than Einstein's are also assessed here, namely, electromagnetism and the various quantum theories, and it is concluded that all these suffer from logical flaws. This has resulted in a lack of consensus among scientists with respect to their beauty. Consequently, the unanimous claim that Einstein's theories are of superior beauty as compared to other theories in physics is hereby substantiated.
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| DOI | 10.1080/02698590120118800 |
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References found in this work BETA
The Structure of Science: Problems in the Logic of Scientific Explanation.Ernest Nagel - 1961 - New York, NY, USA: Harcourt, Brace & World.
The Emperor’s New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds, Andthe Laws of Physics.Roger Penrose - 1989 - Science and Society 54 (4):484-487.
The Structure of Science: Problems in the Logic of Scientific Explanation.Ernest Nagel - 1962 - Philosophy 37 (142):372-374.
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Citations of this work BETA
Outline of a Theory of Scientific Aesthetics.Gustavo Romero - 2018 - Foundations of Science 23 (4):795-807.
Einstein, His Theories, and His Aesthetic Considerations.Gideon Engler - 2005 - International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 19 (1):21 – 30.
Colloquium 3: Why Beauty is Truth in All We Know: Aesthetics and Mimesis in Neoplatonic Science1.Marije Martijn - 2010 - Proceedings of the Boston Area Colloquium of Ancient Philosophy 25 (1):69-108.
View all 7 citations / Add more citations
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