Book Title: Role of Space Time in Jainas Syadavada and Quantum Theory
Author(s): Filita Bharucha
Publisher: Shri Satguru Publications
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Role of Universals, Thought Experiments
Section B
Status of 'Time' in Thought Experiments
Let we discuss the status of time in view thought experiments called Gedanken Etymologically the German word 'Gedanke" arose from the literal translation of 'thought processes'. Hence a 'Gedanken was supposed to be phenomena (o experiment) carried out only in thought processes of the human mind. Hence I shall in order to abbreviate, use the symbol (G.E), for 'thought experiments' and N (G.E), for the empirically verifiable ones.
In order to understand the problem of (Gedanke Experiment) (GE) in philosophy (metaphysical) one can take up various issues like (1) Belief in intelligibility uniformity of
nature.
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The status of temporal becoming is a typical philosophical problems. Some meta-physicians have insisted on the time flow' because they believe in a given instant of time namely that the 'Now' is momentarily 'alive' and is much more real than other temporal points of events that are in the distant future keep moving towards the 'Now until they coincide with it and subsequently recede further and further into the past. The complication is due to the fact that the constraints placed on the specific methodological device in metaphysics are not so rigidly attached as in science. Also we note that thought experiments (G.E) cannot provide new empirical data they nevertheless have basically the same function felt we note that (G.E) gives the scientist access to information which is simultaneously at hand and yet inaccessible to him (G.E) helps scientist to draw hidden implications of the same which helps in reconceptualised leading to a scientific revolt.
Before we begin our discussion of (GE) in metaphysics with respect to the temporal becoming, let us discuss the view of time, which human beings in widely different cultural
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