Research On Ludwig Boltzamnn’ Scientific Philosophy Thoughts

Ludwig Boltzmann is a Theoretical Physicist, Statistical Mechanics founder and firm defender of Atomic Essentialist during the transitional period from classic to micro of physics research. Because his physics research involves the radical understanding on existence of the physical world, so he has to engage himself in the physics research and teaching and learning, in the same time devote himself in the thinking on the philosophy problems such as Probability, Determinism and Realism, and someone even attributes his suicide to his lonely philosophical thought.This thesis tries to systematic discuss Boltzmann’s Scientific Philosophy Thoughts in order to reveal a series of his Philosophy Thoughts based on the Theoretical Physics. This thesis mainly divides two parts:the first chapter is the first part, which mainly investigates the background of the formation of Boltzmann’s Scientific Philosophy Thoughts. The second to sixth chapter is the second part. These chapters respectively discuss Boltzmann’s Statistical Determinism, Realism, Defense of Atom, Pictures, Linguistc Philosophy according to scientific philosophy thought produced in different periods of Boltzmann’s scientific activity. Among them, Boltzmann’s Linguistc Philosophy in the content is also the comprehensive of his former scientific philosophy thoughts. Key points of every chapter are summarized as follows:The first chapter suggests that Boltzmann Boarded scientific peak on the basis of studying Maxwell’s work, and that the philosophy foundation of Boltzmann’s Statistical Physics Research runs parallel with the philosophy thoughts contained in Newtonian Mechanics Research Program. Clausius’ concept of entropy and Maxwell’s research methods on physical analogy are a premise of the concept and methodology basis for Boltzmann statistical physics study, his scientific literacy provides theoretical basis for Boltzmann’s research, research direction chosen by himself and ongoing scientific controversies provide practical basis for the formation of his scientific philosophy thoughts.The second chapter investigates the generation and forming process of Boltzmann’s Statistical Determinism Thought. Boltzmann constantly deconstructs the conventional physics research way, and meanwhile gradually forms the thinking way of Stosszahlansatz and Ergodicity, and he forms Statistical Determinism in the process of expounding the Second Law of Thermodynamics newly and making achievement in the Statistical Physics research. His probability explanation on entropy is his substantial contents of statistical thoughts, and also provides the beneficial enlightenment to the subsequent research of physics and philosophy problems.The third chapter mainly discusses Boltzmann’s Reality Theory position. Boltzmann forms Realism thought in the process of his debate with the only-theorists, empirical theorists, instrumentalist and phenomena activist. Among them, his debate with Mach and Ostwald is the most intense. In ontology sense, he thinks, Atom as the foundation of Statistical Mechanics have quality. In epistemological sense, he thinks, physics theory based on Atomic hypothesis is the correct description of the objective world. In methodological sense, he thinks, the imagination is the cradle of theory, theory is a practical tool, in Theoretical Physics calculation is necessary and effective tool used for solving equations, contact different understandings. Therefore, mathematics method is a real effective tool to clean up the physical thinking.The forth chapter mainly reviews the journey of Boltzmann’s Atom Defense. Boltzmann is a person who had a sincere brief in atom. Not only Boltzmann’s defense for existence of atoms is parallel with his Realism position, but also his defense itself is the inherent in his physical achievement(Especially Boltzmann equation named after him and Boltzmann principle) that is to say, on the one hand his thought of the Atomic Realism is the comprehensive of the Atom thought of Newton in the nineteenth century, Boscovich, Clausius and Maxwell, on the other hand, his thought of the Atomic Realism is reflected in the process of his defense for the Second Law of Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics involving in time for sagittal and probability nature and constant debate with physicists such as Loschmidt and Zermelo and so on.The fifth chapter mainly discusses Boltzmann’s Pictures Thought. The formation of Boltzmann’s Pictures Thought is on the basis of Mental Picture expounded by Zimmermann as Bolzano’s student and Mechanical image view described by Galileo and Newton, and in the process of studying Electromagnetism, Mechanics and Statistical mechanics by using analogy method. He tries to defend Atomic Realism thought through the concept of image theory. He thinks that Mental Picture has both necessity and chance, necessity illustrates Mental Picture is a reflection of the inner essence of physical phenomena, chance illustrates even the wrong Mental Picture will also play a heuristic role in scientific research.Therefore, Mental Picture is neither the real absolute objectivity description, nor totally random subjective frame, but contains new physical ideas, so it has prophetic and inevitably contains the limitations of time, in the end, it has fallibility.The sixth chapter investigates the process and formation of Boltzmann’s Language Philosophy Thinking and main ideas. Boltzmann at his old age is the successor of Mach Philosophy Lecture, which makes he transform from natural philosophy lecture to language philosophy lecture during 1904 and 1905. He thinks, the simplest and the most experienced method of philosophy research is language analysis and mathematical analysis, the simplest and the most experienced method of solving language problems is sure mathematical symbols and expressive significance and nominatum, language use should be parallel with scientific ideas expression.