The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Change the World

British physicist David Deutsch is not only one of the founders of quantum computing theory but also a philosopher seeking to comprehend humanity's "eternal questions" in the context set by the development of science. The central question of this book is: is there a limit to human progress? The answer is expressed in the title: we stand at the beginning of an endless path which will lead us, through guesses and critiques, our universal reason. We embarked on this path during the Enlightenment, but it is easy to deviate from it under the influence of erroneous philosophical ideas, which the author attributes to many schools of thought—from positivism to postmodernism, not to mention religion. An example of deviating from the path of reason in science is represented by the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. Deutsch sees a reasonable alternative in Everett's interpretation, from which emerges the picture of the world as a multiverse. However, the author's sphere of interests is not limited to science. Drawing on the ideas of Karl Popper and the concept of reasonable explanation, Deutsch formulates a theory of knowledge from which he derives the existence of objective truth in ethics and aesthetics, as well as political principles that promote unlimited progress. .