The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the WorldThe New York Times bestseller A provocative, imaginative exploration of the nature and progress of knowledge In this groundbreaking book, award-winning physicist David Deutsch argues that explanations have a fundamental place in the universe—and that improving them is the basic regulating principle of all successful human endeavor. Taking us on a journey through every fundamental field of science, as well as the history of civilization, art, moral values, and the theory of political institutions, Deutsch tracks how we form new explanations and drop bad ones, explaining the conditions under which progress—which he argues is potentially boundless—can and cannot happen. Hugely ambitious and highly original, The Beginning of Infinity explores and establishes deep connections between the laws of nature, the human condition, knowledge, and the possibility for progress. |
Contents
Closer to Reality | |
The Spark | |
Creation | |
The Reality of Abstractions | |
The Jump to Universality | |
A Window on Infinity | |
Optimism | |
A Dream of Socrates | |
The Multiverse | |
A Physicists History of Bad Philosophy | |
Choices | |
Why are Flowers Beautiful? | |
The Evolution of Culture | |
Artificial Creativity | |
The Evolution of Creativity | |
Other editions - View all
The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations that Transform the World David Deutsch No preview available - 2011 |
The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations that Transform the World David Deutsch No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
abstract achieved adaptations anthropic anthropocentric apportionment argument astrophysicists atoms bad explanations bad philosophy beauty beginning of infinity behaviour biosphere brains cause CHAEREPHON Chapter civilization conjecture created creation creativity criticism culture David Deutsch doppelgänger Earth Easter Island effect empiricism Enlightenment entities error evolution evolved exist experience explanatory theories fact fallibilism fine-tuning finite fundamental fungible galaxy genes happen Hence HERMES human ideas imagine improve infinite Infinity Hotel instance knowledge known laws of physics logic mathematical mathematician means memes misconception moral multiverse natural numbers never observation one’s optimism parochial phantom zone phenomena physicists planet PLATO population possible predictions Principle of Mediocrity problem progress qualia quantum computation quantum theory qubits reach reality reason replication rule of thumb sense SOCRATES solve Spaceship Spaceship Earth Spartans species stars static society story things trick true truth Turing test typical understand variants