Erwin Schrödinger's Worldview

Erwin Schrödinger is one of the greatest figures of theoretical physics, but there is another side to the man: not only did his work revolutionize physics, it also radiacally changed the foundations of our modern worldview, modern biology, philosophy of science, philosophy of the mind, and epistemology.
This book explores the lesser-known aspects of Schrödinger's thought, revealing the physicist as a philosopher and polymath whose highly original ideas anticipated the current merging of the natural and the social sciences and the humanities.
Thirteen renowned scientists and philosophers have contributed to the volume. Part I reveals the philosophical importance of Schrödinger's work as a physicist. Part II examines his theory of life and of the self-organization of matter. Part III shows how Schrödinger's ideas have influenced contemporary philosophy of nature and our modern view of the world, drawing a fascinating picture of the ongoing synthesis of nature and culture: one of the most interesting developments of modern thought.
The volume also contains the most comprehensive bibliography of Schrödinger's scientific work, making it at the same time a book of acute contemporary relevance and a major work of reference.

Inhalt

Introduction; J. Götschl, W. LeinFellner. E. Schrödinger -- A Biographical Sketch; J. Götschl, G.A. Höfler. Part I: Physics in the Philosophical System of Erwin Schrödinger. Erwin Schrödinger and the Philosophy of the Physicists; E. Scheibe. Holistic Aspects of the Schrödinger Equation; H. Pietschmann. Schrödinger's Cat and the Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics; B. Kanischeider. The Schrödinger Function of Macroscopic Systems; K. Baumann. Part II: Life Sciences and the Theories of Self in Erwin Schrödinger's Philosophical System. Schrödinger's Negentropy Concept and Biology; R. Riedl. Determination and Self-Organization: Erwin Schrödinger's Views on Chance; H. Hörz. Schrödinger, the Self and the Genes; W. Leinfellner. Erwin Schrödinger and his Contribution to a New Understanding of Living Systems; F.M. Wuketits. Part III: Erwin Schrödinger's World View and his Philosophical System. On the Scientific and Humanistic Thinking of Erwin Schrödinger during his Last Years; L. Halpern. Erwin Schrödinger as Historian -- Notes towards an Interpretation; Y. Elkana. Erwin Schrödinger's Position in the Einstein-Bohr Debate; U. Röseberg. The Notion of Consciousness in Schrödinger's Philosophy of Nature; H. Poser. Remembering Schrödinger; L. Halpern. The Study of Nature and the Emergence of World View -- Philosophical Reflections on E. Schrödinger's Approach; J. Götschl. Bibliography of Erwin Schrödinger's Works. Name Index. Subjects Index.