"It is little known but philosophers and psychologists doubtful of man's freedom could never claim the support of prominent physicists. Galileo, Newton, Euler, Laplace, Heimholtz, Maxwell, Planck, Einstein, and others time and again rejected the contention that the laws of physics had undermined man's conviction about his own freedom. In their view those who exploited physics against the freedom of the will had simply no grasp of what physics was about. This point was phrased some thirty years ago by Arthur Holly Compton, a leading figure of American physics before WWII, and a Nobel laureate:
'It seems unfortunate that some modern philosopher has not forcibly called attention to the fact that one's ability to move his hand at will is much more directly and much more certainly known than are even the well-tested laws of Newton, and that if these laws deny one's ability to move his hand at will the preferable conclusion is that Newton's Laws require modification.'
On hearing this "physicalists" would shake their heads in disbelief. After all, their whole philosophy is based on their belief in the absolute supremacy of the laws of physics. To that supremacy they are willing to sacrifice everything, human freedom not excepted. Or as Skinner stated: 'The hypothesis that man is NOT free is essential to the study of human behavior.' I would not object to Skinner's statement if it read instead:
'The hypothesis that man is NOT free is essential to the behaviorist or "physicalist" study of human behavior.' As a non-behaviorist who believes in freedom, I would not curtail the freedom of behaviorists to curtail their own horizon. If someone wants to worship an idol let him do it. "Physicalists" are such worshippers. Their idol is a narrow concept of the method of physics and what they do can best be desrcibed as the worship of method, or methodolatry."
S Jaki, "The Role of Physics in Psychology", 1967
What IS that rattling sound? Oh, it's just Tim and Maurice shaking their heads in disbelief at the words of poor demented Nobel laureate Arthur Compton. The poor guy just didn't know what wonderful breakthroughs were ahead in biological psychology, or phrenology, or whatever. He should have kissed the idol Methodolatry on its butt too, but first he would have had to push.... |
