Physical Truth Without the Relatives

Daniel Kleppner writes, in the March 2001 issue of Physics Today (page 11 ), “Nevertheless, essentially all physicists share certain beliefs” and then lists several key articles of faith. I commend Kleppner for pointing these out and for the generally excellent opinion piece that followed. However, physicists must hold to another key belief, without which physics would be impossible: the idea that physical truth is ultimately absolute. Adherence to this belief is important since the prevailing mood today is quite the opposite. Many people seem to want truth to be relative, a pure construct of the feelings and social preferences of the observer. Indeed, in other areas of academic inquiry, people do argue passionately for a relative view of truth that is decided by social convention or status. They often have little tolerance for those who view truth as absolute. Within such a worldview, physics becomes an intolerant intellectual activity.

Granted, our knowledge of physical truth is only an approximation of a more complete understanding. However, once we subscribe to the idea that a complete understanding is and always will be a human invention and that no knowledge stands independent of human viewpoint, then physical inquiry ceases to be a rational activity.