TITLE:
Idealogical Reference Architecture (IRA): An Epistemological Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics1
AUTHORS:
Peter J. Worth, Seetesh Pande
KEYWORDS:
Metaphysics, Theoretical Computer Science, Cognitive Science, Information Processing, Epistemology, Quantum Mechanics, Idealism, Plato, Kant, Daoism, Taoism, I Ching, Book of Changes, Samkhya, Yoga, Schopenhauer, Theoretical Physics
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Philosophy,
Vol.12 No.3,
June
15,
2022
ABSTRACT: With this work, we introduce a system of idealogical metaphysics which
is primarily born out of an epistemological interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
(QM). Our interpretative stance follows a long line of consciousness (what we call mind) based on interpretations, or explanations, for the so-called measurement problem in QM, a position held by physicists (and mathematicians)
such as Von Neumann,
Wigner, Bohm, Stapp, Manousakis, Blaha, and Pradhan among others. Given this perspective,
we conceive of the measurement problem to be a function of the boundary condition
between mind and matter itself, a condition we wish to shed light on by abstracting
the problem of measurement itself out of physics proper and (more directly) into
the domain of philosophy explicitly using modern conceptions of epistemology and
information theory, as well as quantum measurement theory, to construct a system
of metaphysics, based upon knowledge and information processing and theory, that
sheds light on the relationship between mind and matter generally. In this context,
akin to Alan Turing’s work in theoretical computer science in 1950 which introduced the concept
of a theoretical computing machine which ultimately provided the basis for modern
computers, we introduce the notion of an idealogical computing machine, or IRA (Idealogical
Reference Architecture), which is constructed based upon modern software development
models and paradigms (object oriented programming and design primarily) which represent
the de facto standard used by information processing systems in modern computing
applications. We, however,
take the additional conceptual abstraction from information to knowledge, after which IRA can be viewed within the broader philosophical dialogue, both in its Western
(Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Schopenhauer) as well as Eastern (Vedanta,
Samkhya, Daoism) dialects. To this end, we hope this work can serve as a
framework for comparison and further development as a sort of reference
architecture, in
philosophical, theological and (theoretical) scientific circles, to provide precision and
clarity to metaphysical discussions in the same
way the Turing Machine provided for a more precise definition of computer
system design (and limits).