Ox Bow Press - Books By Subject

The Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

Erwin Schrödinger

Edited and with an introduction by Michel Bitbol

"Erwin Schrödinger left a rich legacy of unpublished manuscripts and it is very fortunate that his daughter, Ruth Braunizer, decided to publish the ones pertaining to the interpretation of quantum mechanics..."
Walter Thirring, Complexity

Previously unpublished lectures and notes (1949-1955) by one of the founders of modern physics - Dublin seminars and manuscripts for his never delivered William James lectures. These writings will fill a gap in the historical appraisal of Schrödinger's thought, and will be received as precious new information by physicists and philosophers who are involved in the foundational problems of quantum mechanics. Editor Michel Bitbol has collected a series of colloquia, seminars, and lectures that provide insights into the great physicist's thoughts toward the end of his career. An explanatory preface and introductory notes place the material in contemporary context.

152 + vi pages, 6 x 9.
First published in 1995 by Ox Bow Press.

Paper $30. ISBN 1-881987-09-4

Cloth $55. ISBN 1-881987-08-6

My View of the World (back in print)

Erwin Schrödinger

Erwin Schrödinger, developer of the wave theory of quantum mechanics, was the first physicist to turn to the sacred writings of the East for philosophical insights. This book relates the new physics to the Vedantic vision, focusing on consciousness, monism, and moral law.

CONTENTS: Metaphysics in general A cheerless balance-sheet Philosophical wonder The problem The Vedantic vision An exoteric introduction to scientific thought More about non-plurality Consciousness, organic, inorganic, mneme On becoming conscious The moral law Reasons for abandoning the dualism of thought and existence, or mind and matter Linguistic information and our common possession of the world The imperfection of understanding The doctrine of identity: light and shadow Two grounds for astonishment: pseudo-ethics.

110 + viii pages, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2.
Reprint of first English edition published 1964.

Paper $24. ISBN 0-918024-30-7

Symmetries and Reflections

Eugene Wigner

Renowned physicist Eugene Wigner has long maintained a deep interest in the philosophical implications of his subject. The twenty-four penetrating essays collected in this volume cover a broad range of topics including the role of symmetry in physics, nuclear energy, epistemology, and a contemporary history of physics. Each subject is approached with wit and insight, leading to a book that is treasured by both experts and amateurs.

280 + vii pages, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2.
Reprint of first edition published in 1967.

Paper $22. ISBN 0-918024-16-1

The Open World

Hermann Weyl

Hermann Weyl was an early twentieth century scholar who probed mathematics, physics, and philosophy with equal depth. In this remarkable and little known work, he looked into the transcendental beyond the epistemological, and asked us to be sensitive to a reality that supercedes the physical and mathematical, the open world.

CONTENTS: God and the Universe Causality Infinity.

84 + vii pages, 5 1/2 x 8.
Reprint of first edition published in 1932.

Paper $18. ISBN 0-918024-70-6

Cloth $30. ISBN 0-918024-71-4

Where Is Science Going?

Max Planck

Max Planck, who introduced the quantization of energy, was acutely aware of the enormous impact of the new physics on philosophical thought. Foremost among his works in this area is Where is Science Going?, which presents his mature thoughts on the problems created by his earlier work. This edition contains a foreword by Albert Einstein, introduction by James Murphy, and an epilogue with conversations between Murphy and Planck, and Murphy and Einstein.

224 pages, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2.
Reprint of first English edition published in 1933.

Paper $18. ISBN 0-918024-22-6

Cloth $30. ISBN 0-918024-21-8

Across the Frontiers

Werner Heisenberg

Heisenberg's nontechnical writings on physics have always been notable for a strong sense of the history of the subject, and for a clear perception of the impact of modern discoveries on time-honored philosophical disputes. The essays in this volume include appreciative assessments of the work of Einstein, Planck, and Pauli, and discussions of the structure of scientific theories, the role of abstraction in science, the function of natural laws, and the ultimate nature of matter.

230 + x pages, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2.
Reprint of first English edition published in 1974.

Paper $22. ISBN 0-918024-81-1

Cloth $35. ISBN 0-918024-80-3

Philosophical Problems of Quantum Physics

Werner Heisenberg

Werner Heisenberg was one of a small group who created the science of quantum physics. These essays, which originally appeared under the title Philosophical Problems of Nuclear Science, present an illuminating view of the development and significance of quantum theory.

CONTENTS: Recent Changes in the Foundation of Exact Science On the History of the Physical Interpretation of Nature Questions of Principle in Modern Physics Ideas of the Natural Philosophy of Ancient Times in Modern Physics The Teachings of Goethe and Newton on Colour in the Light of Modern Physics On the Unity of the Scientific Outlook on Nature Fundamental Problems of Present-day Atomic Physics Science as a Means of International Understanding

126 pages, 6 x 9.
Reprint of first English edition published 1952.

Paper $18. ISBN 0-918024-15-3

Cloth $30. ISBN 0-918024-14-5

Philosophical Writings of Niels Bohr

Volume I:

Atomic Theory and the Description of Nature

Written from 1925-1929, these essays explain to a general audience the details of the emerging theory in physics. These writings illuminate the transition from classical physics to quantum theory, and probe the philosophical consequences of this transition.

119 + viii pages, 6 x 9.
Reprint of first English edition published in 1934.

Paper $20. ISBN 0-918024-50-1

Volume II:

Essays 1932-1957
on Atomic Physics and Human Knowledge

This volume extends the new physics and its underlying epistemology to inquire into the nature of biology, anthropology, and philosophy. Bohr explores the possibilities and limitations of human thought in a variety of fields. This volume also contains the famous 1949 essay, "Discussion with Einstein."

101 + viii pages, 6 x 9.
Reprint of first English edition published in 1958.

Cloth $30. ISBN 0-918024-53-6

Paperback $20. ISBN 0-918024-52-8

Volume III:

Essays 1958-1962
on Atomic Physics and Human Knowledge

Bohr here states his mature views on such subjects as complementarity, the limitations of human knowledge, and the problems that arise in biology from "the practically inexhaustible complexity of the organism." Included are anecdotes on the entire pantheon of scientists who changed, at the deepest level, the frontiers of knowledge in our time.

100 + x pages, 6 x 9.
Reprint of first English edition published in 1963.

Paper $20. ISBN 0-918024-54-4

Cloth $30. ISBN 0-918024-55-2

Volume IV:

Causality and Complementarity

Supplementary papers edited by Jan Faye and Henry J. Folse

In volumes I, II, and III Bohr collected his major philosophical ideas. In this volume, scholars Faye and Folse have carefully reviewed all of Bohr's writings to select additional works that expand our understanding of the subtleties of his thinking in the philosophical foundations of physics and other areas of modern thought.

192 + x pages, 6 x 9.
First published in 1999.

Paper $20. ISBN 1-881987-13-2

Cloth $40. ISBN 1-881987-14-0