Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Mohammad Ebrahim Maqsudi ¹
• Seyed Ali Taheri Khorram Abadi ²

¹ Department of Philosophy of Science, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

² Philosophy of Science Department, Sharif University of Technology

Abstract

Lee Smolin sees modern cosmology in crisis in explaining phenomena as the result of using a special methodology called "the Newtonian schema". According to the Newtonian schema, the world is like a computer that receives its initial conditions as inputs, and then the governing rules, in terms of differential equations with respect to time, produce its subsequent states as outputs. He considers it necessary to abandon this schema to overcome the crisis. However, he has not proposed an alternative. As far as I know, the only available alternative is provided by Ken Wharton. He considers the "Lagrangian schema" to be an appropriate alternative to the Newtonian schema. The Lagrangian schema is a holistic approach that denies the mentioned algorithmic understanding of the world. This article aims to examine Smolin's criticisms and Wharton's proposal. We will argue that although it has advantages over the Newtonian schema, the Lagrangian schema cannot be favorable to Smolin.

Keywords

• Newtonian Schema
• Lagrangian
• Cosmology
• Time
• Multiverse
• Smolin