Abstract
As a forceful defence of the principle of determinism in Nature, as against the current interpretations of the new physical theories, this book needs careful thought. The author believes that the menace to determinism is rather premature and marks only a provisional stage in the re-shaping of the foundations of physical science. A correct interpretation of the principle of causality would show that Nature is not necessarily left to chance. This interpretation consists in considering the principle of causality as a maxim of the naturalist rather than a law of Nature. In this heuristic capacity, the principle is used to supplement, with other fragments of Nature, every incomplete system encountered, until it is amplified to a complete, undisturbed whole.
Causality: a Law of Nature or a Maxim of the Naturalist? Lecture delivered at the Royal York Hotel, Toronto, on May 14th, 1932, much enlarged.
Dr.
Ludwik
Silberstein
By. Pp. viii + 159. (London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1933.) 4s. 6d. net.
Enjoying our latest content?
Log in or create an account to continue
- Access the most recent journalism from Nature's award-winning team
- Explore the latest features & opinion covering groundbreaking research
or
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
G., T. Causality: a Law of Nature or a Maxim of the Naturalist? Lecture delivered at the Royal York Hotel, Toronto, on May 14th, 1932, much enlarged . Nature 133, 235 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/133235c0
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/133235c0
