Does anyone know what motivated this quote from Wheeler?

In summary, the conversation revolves around discussing historical figures such as Buddha, Jesus, Moses, and Confucius and how the speaker was convinced of their existence through conversations with Niels Bohr. They also discuss Bohr's interest in philosophy and how it may have influenced his thinking. The speaker also mentions their belief in a difference between philosophy and superstition.
  • #1
davidbenari
466
18
You can talk about people like Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Confucius, but the thing that convinced me that such people existed were the conversations with Bohr.
About his time working with Niels Bohr in Copenhagen.

http://www.todayinsci.com/W/Wheeler_John/WheelerJohn-Quotations.htm

I find this quote quite amusing. Does anyone know what motivated it? Or has a good theory about what motivated it?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
I have no idea, since I wasn't privy to the conversations. There has never been much doubt that they existed as historical figures. If he referred to attributing some sort of supernatural status to them, it's anybody's guess why someone would do that. I can't imagine a serious scientist embracing the concept. :confused:
 
  • #3
Wasn't Bohr "too philosophical" ? The wiki entry on him makes several references to some sort of fascination of his for philosophy. For example, in his love of Kierkegaard.
 
  • #4
davidbenari said:
Wasn't Bohr "too philosophical" ? The wiki entry on him makes several references to some sort of fascination of his for philosophy. For example, in his love of Kierkegaard.
Oh... that's disappointing... :(
 
  • #5
Lol. Why?
 
  • #6
davidbenari said:
Lol. Why?
I can't actually answer that under Forum guidelines, since it would involve a discussion of "religion". Leave it suffice to be said that I've always taken there to be a difference between philosophy and superstition. Before the term "science" existed, the field of study was called "natural philosophy".
 
  • Like
Likes davidbenari
  • #7
What he may be saying is that Bohr was a man of such great intellect that after speaking to him it made it seem plausible that other legendary like him actually existed.

Or he may be referring to people who were absolutely dedicated to one kind of thinking/philosophy.
 

Related to Does anyone know what motivated this quote from Wheeler?

1. What is the context of this quote from Wheeler?

The context of this quote from Wheeler is not specified in the question. Without further information, it is impossible to determine the specific context in which the quote was made and what may have motivated it.

2. Who is Wheeler and why should we care about this quote?

Wheeler is not a known figure or name in the scientific community. Without more information, it is difficult to determine the significance of this quote and why it should be of interest to others.

3. Can you provide any background information on Wheeler or their work?

Without knowing the full name or any other identifying information about Wheeler, it is not possible to provide any background information or context on their work.

4. What exactly is meant by "motivated" in this quote from Wheeler?

"Motivated" can have many different meanings, depending on the context in which it is used. It could refer to the reason behind saying or writing the quote, the inspiration for the quote, or the intended message of the quote. More information is needed to accurately determine the meaning in this specific case.

5. How can we find out more about this quote from Wheeler and its motivation?

Without any additional information or context, it is difficult to find out more about this quote from Wheeler and what may have motivated it. If possible, identifying the source or providing more context could help in further research.

Similar threads

Does anyone here know what happened to Emmanuel David Tannenbaum
    • General Discussion
Replies
1
Views
3K
What Do These Famous Quotes Reveal About the Minds of Great Scientists?
    • General Discussion
6
Replies
204
Views
33K
John Wheeler & QM: Unpacking His Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
21
Views
2K
Anyone explain this Feynman quote?
    • General Discussion
Replies
2
Views
4K
I Wigner's Friend shows the difference between Observer and Measurement
    • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
Replies
4
Views
1K
A Comment on Nicolas Gisin "Intuitionistic Mathematics"?
    • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
Replies
1
Views
1K
What is the problem that the Many Worlds Interpretation aims to solve?
    • Quantum Interpretations and Foundations
Replies
30
Views
3K
Focus all of your ire on me, if you would
    • General Discussion
Replies
4
Views
692
Does anyone know what a soul is?
    • General Discussion
Replies
31
Views
4K
B Balancing theories and empirical data, especially concerning string theory
    • Beyond the Standard Models
2
Replies
47
Views
4K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top