BETWEEN MATTER AND FORM: THE PROBLEM OF OBJECTIVITYOF QUANTIC PHENOMENA IN WERNER HEISENBERG
Heisenberg; Objectivity; Matter; Form;
This research seeks to investigate Werner Heisenberg's (1901-1976) conceptual interpretation around the problem of objectivity of quantum phenomena, that is, around the ancient metaphysical problem, which goes back to Greek philosophy, of investigating the last constituents of nature, the which, in Heisenberg's case, means to inquire into the philosophical-ontological meaning of the twenty-five elementary particles known in his time. Heisenberg defends the idea that elementary particles are ultimately mathematical forms that energy must take in order to become matter, which approximates his interpretation to the way Plato conceived pure or eido forms. Our research seeks to problematize Heisenberg's idealistic interpretation, and to discuss the various facets that are involved and implicated in his idealistic philosophical position. Finally, we defend the idea of the existence of an internal tension between the postures of the philosopher Heisenberg that defends an approximation with Plato's forms, to the problem of the objectivity of quantum phenomena, and the physicist Heisenberg who indirectly accepts a material objective background inherent in the quantum phenomena. We further argue that Heisenberg's strategy of overcoming this internal tension between matter and form is what we call Heisenberg's pragmatic atitude, which is to, simultaneously, preserve his epistemological-positivist attitude within quantum physics and his ontological-metaphysical impulse within of philosophy.