Žižek: Quantum physics shows reality is incomplete

An interview with Slavoj Žižek

Despite being our most successful scientific theory, quantum mechanics raises deep ontological questions about the nature of reality—questions that bring philosophy back to the forefront of our quest to understand the universe. Slavoj Žižek argues that we should take it’s philosophical consequences seriously, we should see reality as incomplete.

On September 21st, at the HowTheLightGetsIn festival in London’s Kenwood House, Zizek will be on a panel alongside Nobel laureate and mathematical physicist Roger Penrose, and theoretical physicist and YouTube sensation Sabine Hossenfelder, to debate the philosophical implications of quantum mechanics. Book your place now. 

This article is presented in association with Closer To Truth, a partner for HowTheLightGetsIn Festival 2024.

 

 

In Žižek's most recent book Christian Atheism: How to Be a Real Materialist, he addresses the relationship between quantum mechanics and film, using Everything Everywhere All at Once as a metaphor for quantum superposition and the randomness of reality. However, Žižek sees this cinematic portrayal as a negative example, warning against the misuse of complex scientific topics in popular culture.

 “Two points I’ll try to be as brief as possible. First, I will begin with my usual paradox. First, of course, I haven't seen the movie. I tried to watch for five, ten minutes… it's boring, but I saw some clips and summaries for context. I meant to use this starting metaphor as a negative example, as a warning of how topics developed in an imminently scientific way in quantum mechanics are used and predominantly misused in popular culture.

The idea of superpositions is often misrepresented as a freedom of choice, as if human subjects can simply choose which of the multiple realities to actualise. This is a total misreading. The collapse of superpositions is contingent and out of our control."

Continue reading

Enjoy unlimited access to the world's leading thinkers.

Start by exploring our subscription options or joining our mailing list today.

Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber? Log in

Latest Releases
Join the conversation

ashley ashleywalters 29 October 2024

My name is ashley walters !!! i am very grateful sharing this great testimonies with you all, The best thing that has ever happened in my life, is how I won the Powerball lottery. I do believe that someday i will win the Powerball lottery. Finally my dreams came through when i contacted Dr. OSE and tell him i needed the lottery winning special numbers cause i have come a long way spending money on ticket just to make sure i win. But i never knew that winning was so easy with the help of Dr. OSE, until the day i meant the spell caster testimony online, which a lot of people has talked about that he is very powerful and has great powers in casting lottery spell, so i decided to give it a try. I emailed Dr. OSE and he did a spell and gave me the winning lottery special numbers 62, and co-incidentally I have be playing this same number for the past 23years without any winning, But believe me when I play the special number 62 this time and the draws were out i was the mega winner because the special 62 matched all five white-ball numbers as well as the Powerball, in the April 4 drawing to win the $70 million jackpot prize...… Dr. OSE, truly you are the best, with Dr. OSE you can will millions of money through lottery. i am a living testimony and so very happy i meant him, and i will forever be grateful to him...… you can Email him for your own winning special lottery numbers now oseremenspelltemple @ gmail. com whatsapp +2348136482342

Lonnie Osborn 11 September 2024

The intersection of philosophy and quantum mechanics is such a fascinating topic. Žižek, Penrose, and Hossenfelder together?