Physics traditionally seeks explanation through mechanistic models—identifying causes, forces, and laws that govern entities. Meaning is often sidelined as subjective or external to physical theory.
Quantum phenomena and the conceptual puzzles they present invite a broader view: explanation and meaning emerge within the relational web of actualisation and construal.
1. Mechanistic Explanation and Its Limits
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Classical physics explains phenomena via local interactions and deterministic laws,
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Quantum theory challenges this with indeterminacy and contextuality,
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Traditional explanations often fail to capture systemic, emergent features.
2. Meaning as Relational Construal
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Meaning arises through the actualisation of relations within a system,
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Physical phenomena gain significance as patterns of coherence within constraints,
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Explanation shifts from entity causation to systemic unfolding of relational potentials.
3. Implications for Scientific Explanation
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Explanations become multi-level, spanning from local interactions to global system patterns,
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Theory and observation co-construct meaning within relational contexts,
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This invites integration of phenomenological and ontological insights.
4. Toward a Relational Epistemology
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Knowledge is grounded in participatory construal rather than detached observation,
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Explanation is a dialogue between system, observer, and theory,
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Scientific meaning is dynamic, situated, and systemic.
Closing
Meaning and explanation in physics are not mere afterthoughts but integral to understanding reality as a relational process.
Next, we will consider how this approach informs the role of models and mathematics in physics.
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