Ancient atomism and modern physics: the search for the unified theory in the context of (in) determination

Abstract

The Research Group “Physics and Humanities”, based in the Brazilian Center of Physics Research (BCPR), has worked on building dialogues between Physics and Humanities, particularly regarding philosophical questions applied to quantum mechanics (QM). The present article intends to establish the relationship between questions concerning the discussion on chance versus necessity — in the context of ancient atomism — and the most recent theories on the nature of matter and the general state of the universe, notably the implications that the proposition of a unified theory of the world presents for the debate on determinism versus indetermination.

Keywords

• Chance. Atomism. Modern Physics. Necessity