“Philosophers have not kept up with modern developments in science. Particularly physics.”
- January 8, 1942 – March 14, 2018
- British
- Theoretical physicist, science writer
- Announced the black hole singularity theorem and Hawking radiation, and contributed to the popularization of science with his book “Talking about the Universe”
Quote
“Philosophers have not kept up with modern developments in science. Particularly physics.”
Explanation
In this quote, Stephen Hawking critiques the philosophical community for what he sees as a failure to engage with the rapid advancements in science, especially in the field of physics. Over the centuries, philosophy and science were often closely linked, with philosophers playing a key role in shaping our understanding of the natural world. However, by Hawking’s time, the rise of specialized scientific fields—such as quantum mechanics, relativity, and cosmology—meant that scientific knowledge had become highly specialized, often outpacing the ability of philosophers to keep up with new developments.
Hawking’s critique focuses particularly on how philosophers have largely ignored the transformational progress made in physics. For example, the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics revolutionized our understanding of time, space, and matter, yet many philosophers continued to debate issues such as the nature of reality or free will without fully incorporating the scientific breakthroughs that were fundamentally changing the landscape of those discussions. For Hawking, this represented a missed opportunity to integrate the cutting-edge insights of modern science into philosophical thought, especially in areas like ontology (the study of being) and epistemology (the study of knowledge), where science had made significant strides.
This statement also reflects Hawking’s broader view of the relationship between science and philosophy. While he appreciated the philosophical tradition, he believed that many of the most pressing cosmological and metaphysical questions—such as the origin of the universe, the nature of time, and the possibility of multiple universes—could only be addressed through the lens of empirical evidence and scientific reasoning, rather than abstract philosophical speculation. By focusing on scientific discovery, particularly in physics, Hawking believed we could better understand the nature of the universe and our place within it. This view, however, was not meant to dismiss philosophy entirely. Rather, Hawking advocated for a more integrated approach, where the advancements in science could inform and enrich philosophical inquiry, ensuring that both fields work together in the pursuit of knowledge.
