Some Comments on the Problem of Reductionism in Contemporary Physical Science

在當代物理科學之下對於還原主義所提出的問題之析論

柏殿宏(Frank E. Budenholzer)

《哲學論集》 35期 (2002/07) Pp. 231-248

https://doi.org/10.29699/FJPS.200207.0007

摘要

還原主義(Reductionism)是否僅是一種研究方法論(methodology)，促使著科學發展到現今的局面（方法學上的還原主義），或者，這種研究方法論更是指出了整個物質宇宙完全是被自身最小的組成分子所決定著的（本體的或根源的還原主義）。這樣的問題其實是科學與宗教之間對話的中心議題。在本篇論文中，藉著哲學－神學家朗尼根(Bernard Lonergan)所提出主要論點來處理相關的問題。朗尼根的論點是相當適合處理此類問題，他認爲對於實在的準據必須其自身是可理解的，而非可想像的。實在的各種層次如同科學中的研究方法，如物理、化學、生物、感官或理性心理學等，在較低階層中僅只是無規則的現象，這些階層再以可理解的方式整合起來。我們藉由各種不同的科學（如原子、分子、細胞、器官、動物、人類等等各方面）來研究事物，而事物本身就是以可理解的方式整合，並且沒有任何一個層次比其他的層次來得更爲真實。這樣的一個方案的確是有爭論的，畢竟有時我們所理解的並非如同事物表面上所呈顯的那樣簡單，但在建構多元化的實在時卻也是最能夠在目前的物理與生活科學之中來處理，並且使得社會科學與人類文化成就更加的豐富、深入且多元化。

關鍵字

還原主義 ； 朗尼根 ； 實證的可理解性 ； 實在的階層

並列摘要

Is reductionism simply a methodology that has allowed science to progress to its current state (methodological reductionism) or does this methodology indicate something more, that the material universe is determined in full by its smallest components (ontological or causal reductionism)? Such questions lie at the heart of much of the contemporary religion-science dialogue. In this article it is suggested that the position articulated by the philosopher-theologian Bernard Lonergan is particularly suitable for dealing with these questions. For Lonergan, the criterion of the real is simply its verified intelligibility, and not its imaginability. Each of the various levels of reality, as studied in sciences such as physics, chemistry, biology, sensitive and rational psychology, consists of an intelligible integration of what on the lower level would be simply random occurrences. The things studied by the various sciences (atoms, molecules, cellular organisms, animals, human persons. etc.) are intelligible unities and no one level is somehow more real than any other. It is argued that such a scheme, while seeming somewhat counter intuitive, is best able to deal with the multi-layered reality of the contemporary physical and life sciences and provide an opening to the richness of the social sciences and the achievements of human culture.

並列關鍵字

Reductionism ； Bernard Lonergan ； Verified intelligibility ； Levels of reality