Physics and human cognition

Lecturer:

Jiří Langer (gar.)

Tutor:

Jiří Langer (gar.)

Supervisor:

Department of Physical Electronics

Synopsis:

W. Heisenberg said that modern physics is the most important philosophical event of the 20tieth century. This course tries to show „why“. It describes the present days picture of the universe based on the General theory of relativity and Quantum theory and briefly comments on important milestones of the history of physics and philosophy. It inquires the place of the physics and mathematics in the cultural history of mankind and their influence on the art and discusses some ethical problems of the scientific research.

Requirements:

Syllabus of lectures:

1. Discourse on the method.

2. Is the Lord parsimonious or about the variational principles.

3. Space and time.

4. Contemporary view of the Universe.

5. Physics and reality.

6. The Beauty of mathematics and the athematics of beauty.

7. Physics and culture.

8. Chaos and order.

9. Ethics of the science.

Syllabus of tutorials:

Study Objective:

Knowledge: To clear physics in the social process.

Skills: To ensure the social principles.

Study materials:

Key references:

[1] Bertrand Russell A History of Western Philosophy, Simon and Schuster, New York 2001

[2] Ivan Štoll Dějiny fyziky, Prometheus, Praha 2009

Recommended references:

[1] Immmanule Kant Prolegomena ke každé příští metafyzice, jež se bude moc stát vědou, Svoboda, Praha 1992.

Note:

Time-table for winter semester 2011/2012:

Time-table is not available yet

Time-table for summer semester 2011/2012:

Time-table is not available yet

The course is a part of the following study plans: