Back on the Philosophy Page I mentioned the American tendency to mix philosophy and religion. This tendency may be more realistic than it would appear as a first impression. As scientists continue the search for the final theory, the theory that would finally answer all of our questions, (see Dreams of a Final Theory by Steven Weinberg), more and more scientists are suggesting that such a unifying theory will never be possible. We have seen books such as The End of Science: Facing the Limits of Knowledge in the Twilight of the Scientific Age. (How is that for a downer title?). In The End of Physics David Lindley proposes that the unifying theory will never be found. But there is another side to the argument. In Dreams of a Final Theory Steven Weinberg advances the idea that any headway that can be made in finding the Final Theory will be made through the use of equipment such as the Super Collider, but he also seems to agree with many other scientists who, from time to time, experience glimpses of a deeper truth that they can't quite grasp. Surprise! That deeper truth that they can't quite grasp has not only been grasped but has been perfectly understood by many philosophers throughout the ages. Look closely at Leibniz's Monadology (Discourse on Metaphysics and the Monadology (Great Books in Philosophy)). He uses many words to say one thing: matter, that is to say "the existent", i.e., all that exists, has its origin in a transcendental reality. It is that transcendental reality, in the form of what he calls "monads" that gives rise to, that generates, space and time. At this point nothing (of our reality) exists yet. The time that we speak of here is a transcendental concept as well. It is what has traditionally been called "idea temporis" i.e., the concept of time. It stems from the internal activity of the monads. This will be easier to understand if we use another term for the monads: "Entelechies", a term also used by Leibniz. In other words the monads are intelligent, and they can think. The concept of time stems from this intellectual activity.The monads also interact with one another, and the result of that interaction is space. There now arises a third concept, the very first step in the concretization of our reality. Out of both the internal activity of each monad and their interaction with one another, we get a moment of time, and a succesion of these "moments of time" is what the Greeks call "kronos", and takes place in space. This is "creation". "Creation" did not take place at some time in the past as a final and completed act. "Creation" takes place at all moments of time, throughout all of eternity. Since each moment of time (referring to "kronos") is different from the one immediately preceding it, this condition leads to evolution.The transcendental activity that gives rise to "idea temporis" is the same today as it was a million years ago, as it will be a million years from now. All evolution occurs in its effect, and not in itself.
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