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The Singular Universe and the Reality of Time Roberto Mangabeira Unger (Harvard Law School, Massachusetts)

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The Singular Universe and the Reality of Time By Roberto Mangabeira Unger (Harvard Law School, Massachusetts)

The Singular Universe and the Reality of Time by Roberto Mangabeira Unger (Harvard Law School, Massachusetts)


$32.99
Condition - Very Good
<20 in stock

Summary

Cosmology is in crisis. In this book, philosopher Roberto Mangabeira Unger and physicist Lee Smolin, world-renowned for their radical ideas in their fields, argue for a revolution in our cosmological ideas. The book is readily accessible to non-scientists as well as to the physicists and cosmologists whom it challenges.

The Singular Universe and the Reality of Time Summary

The Singular Universe and the Reality of Time: A Proposal in Natural Philosophy by Roberto Mangabeira Unger (Harvard Law School, Massachusetts)

Cosmology is in crisis. The more we discover, the more puzzling the universe appears to be. How and why are the laws of nature what they are? A philosopher and a physicist, world-renowned for their radical ideas in their fields, argue for a revolution. To keep cosmology scientific, we must replace the old view in which the universe is governed by immutable laws by a new one in which laws evolve. Then we can hope to explain them. The revolution that Roberto Mangabeira Unger and Lee Smolin propose relies on three central ideas. There is only one universe at a time. Time is real: everything in the structure and regularities of nature changes sooner or later. Mathematics, which has trouble with time, is not the oracle of nature and the prophet of science; it is simply a tool with great power and immense limitations. The argument is readily accessible to non-scientists as well as to the physicists and cosmologists whom it challenges.

The Singular Universe and the Reality of Time Reviews

'It might be one of the most important books of our time ... Right or wrong, this book is an event.' Bryan Appleyard, The Sunday Times
'A hefty explication setting out clear agendas for research into quantum foundations, explanations for the 'arrow of time' and other parts of this puzzle.' Nature
'Any serious intellectual rebellion is worth watching. This one is ambitious: it seeks to root out one of the oldest impulses in the western imagination.' The Spectator
'Is time, after all, real? Two mavericks take an axe to the established theories of cosmology.' The Guardian
'... an admirable restatement of cosmological ambition.' The Times Higher Education Supplement
'Anyone that wants to thoroughly deliberate over the question of cosmology should read this book.' Peter Eisenhardt, translated from Physik Journal

About Roberto Mangabeira Unger (Harvard Law School, Massachusetts)

Roberto Mangabeira Unger is a philosopher, social and legal theorist, and politician. His engagement with cosmology and natural philosophy in this book deepens and generalizes ideas that he has developed in False Necessity, The Self Awakened, and The Religion of the Future among other writings. Lee Smolin is a theoretical physicist who has made important contributions to quantum gravity. He was educated at Hampshire College and Harvard University. He is a founding member of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. His earlier books explore philosophical issues raised by contemporary physics and cosmology: Life of the Cosmos, Three Roads to Quantum Gravity, The Trouble with Physics, and Time Reborn. Lee Smolin was awarded The Buchalter Cosmology Prize 2014 for his co-authored paper 'The Universe as a Process of Unique Events'.

Table of Contents

Introduction; Part I. Roberto Mangabeira Unger: 1. The science of the one universe in time; 2. The context and consequences of the argument; 3. The singular existence of the universe; 4. The inclusive reality of time; 5. The mutability of the laws of nature; 6. The selective realism of mathematics; Part II. Lee Smolin: 1. Cosmology in crisis; 2. Principles for a cosmological theory; 3. The setting: the puzzles of contemporary cosmology; 4. Hypotheses for a new cosmology; 5. Mathematics; 6. Approaches to solving the metalaw dilemma; 7. Implications of temporal naturalism for philosophy of mind; 8. An agenda for science; 9. Concluding remarks; A note concerning disagreements between our views.

Additional information

GOR006416313
9781107074064
1107074061
The Singular Universe and the Reality of Time: A Proposal in Natural Philosophy by Roberto Mangabeira Unger (Harvard Law School, Massachusetts)
Used - Very Good
Hardback
Cambridge University Press
20141208
566
Winner of PROSE Award for Cosmology and Astronomy 2016
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

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