Is Life Worth Living?

James, William H.

doi:10.1086/205378

Cited by 21 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…The very term "Multiverse" comes from the works of a philosopher, William James [9], in 1895 in which he defines Visible nature is all plasticity and indifference, a multiverse, as one may call it, and not a universe. One of the problems with the above formulation, which we will discuss in more detail later, is whether those universes evolve independently or whether there is some physical relation between them.…”

Section: What Is the Multiverse?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthropic Selection of Physical Constants, Quantum Entanglement, and the Multiverse Falsifiability

Dąbrowski

2019

Universe

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This paper evaluates some important aspects of the multiverse concept. Firstly, the most realistic opportunity for it which is the spacetime variability of the physical constants and may deliver worlds with different physics, hopefully fulfilling the conditions of the anthropic principles. Then, more esoteric versions of the multiverse being the realisation of some abstract mathematics or even logic. Finally, it evaluates the big challenge of getting any signal from "other universes" using recent achievements of the quantum theory.

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Section: What Is the Multiverse?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthropic Selection of Physical Constants, Quantum Entanglement, and the Multiverse Falsifiability

Dąbrowski

2019

Universe

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“…They were also called pluriverse, megaverse, or parallel worlds. The term "multiverse" [50] was first used in 1895 in a moral context by American philosopher William James [51]. When discussing the anthropic principle Barrow and Tipler [10] in 1986 still do not refer to a multiverse.…”

Section: From Physics To Metaphysics: the Ultimate Dethronement Of Manmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do We Live in the Best of All Possible Worlds? The Fine-Tuning of the Constants of Nature

Naumann

2017

Universe

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Our existence depends on a variety of constants which appear to be extremely fine-tuned to allow for the existence of life as we know it. These include the number of spatial dimensions, the strengths of the forces, the masses of the particles, the composition of the Universe, and others. On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the death of G.W. Leibniz, we discuss the question of whether we live in the "Best of all possible Worlds". The hypothesis of a multiverse could explain the mysterious fine tuning of so many fundamental quantities. Anthropic arguments are critically reviewed.

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“…William James (1895James ( /1962 argued that religious beliefs offer to many people the sole way out of suicide. They serve this end by granting to human life a significance that it would otherwise lack.…”

Section: Views On Immortalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We have a right-he writes-to believe the physical order to be only a partial order; we have a right to supplement it by an unseen spiri-tual order which we assume on trust, if only thereby life may seem to us better worth living again. (James, 1895(James, /1962 Those who scoff at these views and idolize science fail to realize that science itself is impossible without some kind of sustaining belief such as the credence in a universe structured according to a logical and mathematical harmony. Just as this view, seemingly ingrained in our nature, made the search for these harmonies possible and was ultimately vindicated, similarly, "if [spiritual] needs of ours outrun the visible universe, why may not that be a sign that an invisible universe is there?"…”

Section: Views On Immortalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

On Facing Death: Views of Some Prominent Psychologists

Moraglia

2004

Journal of Humanistic Psychology

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This study considers the views on death elaborated by several influential representatives of modern psychology from Gustav Fechner and William James to Carl Rogers and B. F. Skinner. It shows that, despite ample differences in theoretical orientation, it is possible to find in these views a measure of agreement concerning the psychological implications of the adult person’s awareness of death. This limited consensus coalesces around the claim that facing one’s finiteness can promote personal growth in the second half of life; that the psychological encounter with death occurs in many guises; that this confrontation is arduous, for the acknowledgment of one’s mortality is associated with fears and anxieties; and that in such an undertaking one can draw support from beliefs that promote the symbolical transcendence of individual finiteness.

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Is Life Worth Living?

Cited by 21 publications

References 0 publications

Anthropic Selection of Physical Constants, Quantum Entanglement, and the Multiverse Falsifiability

Anthropic Selection of Physical Constants, Quantum Entanglement, and the Multiverse Falsifiability

Do We Live in the Best of All Possible Worlds? The Fine-Tuning of the Constants of Nature

On Facing Death: Views of Some Prominent Psychologists

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