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試論絕對的真理
Discussions on the Absolute Truth

岳興華 文 By Yue Xinhuai

對宇宙本原的形成
The Composition of the Basic Substance of the Universe

古希臘、羅馬的「原子論」,其主要倡導者泰勒斯、留基伯、德謨克利特、 伊壁鳩魯和盧克來修等自然哲學家,提出了「原子論」,試圖闡明宇宙間形形色色的自然現象。內容是一種或多種微小的實體叫做「原子」(希臘文原義不可分 割),這些原子在空中運動著,並可按著不同的方式,各種互相結合或重新分配,而宇宙間的一切現象,就可以通過這些原子的性質和運動來加以說明。

The ancient Greek and Roman atomic theory was mainly advanced by natural philosophers such as Thales, Leucippus, Democritus, Epicurus, and Lucretius. Atomism was an attempt to explain various natural phenomena in the universe. This theory postulated that there are one or more kinds of minute solid particles called atoms (from “a-tomos,” which means indivisible or uncuttable in Greek). These atoms orbit in space, and different patterns of combination or arrangements of atoms are possible. All phenomena in the universe can be explained based on the nature and motion of atoms.


米利都學派創始人泰勒斯提出,水是萬物的本源,到赫拉克利特的水、氣、土、 火四大元素學說。

中國戰國時期騶衍的「五行學說」,都是早期關於構成物質的推測。

德謨克利特或留基伯想像物質由不可能再分割的粒子組成(即早期的原子),並 認為不同物質的「原子」構成。

一六五八年,伽桑迪考察了「原子觀點」的論斷,進而假設物質的原子可以在空 間各方向不停的運動。據此他解釋了一些物理現象,例如說明物質的液態、氣態、固態三種狀態的轉變。

十七世紀,法國哲學家笛卡兒「以太論」他說,看來物體之間所有用力,都必須 通過某種中間媒介物質傳遞,因此空間不可能是空無所有的,它被「以太」所充滿,不能為人的感官所感覺,但確能傳遞力的作用,和月球對潮汐的作用力。真空 「並不是沒有物質的空間」,量子場(即基態)就是真空,真空名詞本義就是虛空。

中國古代張載、王夫之的「元氣」學說,相反地認為世界萬物皆由「元氣」形 成,而陰陽二氣充滿太虛。

英國物理學家牛頓,依據真空觀察系(絕對空間)制訂「萬有引力」,愛因斯坦 在用場的觀點上研究引力之後,便意識到「真空即空」的空間,這一觀念有問題,《狹義相對論》指出,光和電磁場本身就是一種物質可在空間傳播,又否定了「以 太」存在。萬有引力的失實、相對論的成功,說明沒有絕對真空。

中國春秋戰國以前(公元前七七六以前),在西周時就以壺漏測時,以圭表測 影,以定方向、定節氣,人們對宇宙萬物本源,作了最初的探索。提出了「五行」說,認為宇宙萬物是由「金、木、水、火、土」五種基本元素構成的;提出了「陰 陽」說,以陰與陽的矛盾運動解釋種種自然現象;還有八卦說,以線段「-」和「-」來表示陰陽,每三個一組,組成基本符號,各代表一定屬性的事物(如「¡ 」代
表水),即八卦,又以它們的排列組合形成64卦,384爻,以此解釋自然現象的千變萬化。

管子在《管子水地篇》中說,水是萬物統一的本源。公元前四世紀的宋鈃和尹文 提出宇宙萬物-於「氣」的學說。在中國以後的歷史時期,「元氣」說有了發展。

墨翟所著《墨經》,記載了時空觀念和機械運動《經上》分別用「彌異時」、 「彌異所」來定義時間和空間,即綜合具體的「時」與「所」,形成「時間」(久)與「空間」(宇)的觀念,墨子認為「運動」,就是物體位置遷移;「靜止」 (止)就是物體在某處停留有一定的時間。由於有了類似於「瞬時」(無久)的觀念,因此對運動的分析比較深刻,他闡明了物體運動,時間有密切聯繫。《墨經》 中還有原始的元素論與物質不滅的樸素思想。

亞里士多德,古希臘哲學家「形式邏輯」的創始人(公元前三八四至前三二二 年),他主張物質空間與時間的聯續性,反對存在「真空」的觀點;他認為感性知覺通過理性活動,可以一下子到達普通抽象的頂點。他列舉出物質的運動變化有 「四因」:形式因、目的因、原料因和動力因。一切物體都具有某種天賦的目的或「自然的本性」,天體永圍地球這一宇宙中心作勻速圓周運動,組成地上物體四種 基本元素(水、火、氣、土),「趨向於自己特有的空間」,具有尋找自己「天然處所」並停留在那裡的本性,從而形成重者向下,輕者向上的「天然運動」(因本 性運動)。

俄國化學家門捷列夫,最早比較完整的於一八六九至一八七一年,根據「元素周 期表」六十三種元素的原子量順序排列的表中,他還預言了三個空位所代表的,尚未發現的元素的性質,這些元素分別是類鋁(鎵)類硅(鍺),不久它們都先後發 現了,測得化學與物理性質和門捷列夫預言的基本一致,現已由人工合成了108和109號元素。


Thales, the funder of the Miletus school, proposed that water is the source of the myriad things, while Heraclitus maintained that fire was the origin of all phenomena. Empedocles propounded the theory of the four major elements or ‘roots’, the four being water, air, earth and fire.

The theory of the five elements proposed by Zou Yan during the Warring States period (403-222 b.c.) in China was yet another early theory concerning the composition of matter.

Democritus and Leucippus in ancient Greece jointly formulated the atomic theory that matter is formed from indivisible particles (i.e. atoms). Matter was thought to be comprised of atoms of different elements.

In the mid-seventeenth century Pierre Gassendi investigated this proposition from the point of view of atoms and further postulated that atoms of matter exhibit random motion in space. Based on this, certain physical phenomena such as the various states of matter—i.e. liquid, gaseous, and solid states—and the conversions occurring between them could now be explained.

Also in the seventeenth century, the French philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650) stated in his treatise A Theory of Ether that the mutually applying forces between objects need an intermediate medium of transmission. He claimed that space is not emptiness without any substance, but that it is filled up with ether. Ether serves as the medium for transmitting forces, even thought it cannot be perceived by human sense organs. Ether also transmits the moon’s effect on the earth’s tidal patterns. A vacuum is not an empty space without any substance. Vacuity refers to the quantum field (the ground state) and denotes empty space.

The theory of primal energy (in Chinese, yuan qi) as proposed by ancient Chinese philosophers Zhang Zai and Wang Fuzhi, suggested that the myriad things in the world come from primal energy, and that empty space is filled up with both the yin and yang energies.

Based on his observation of vacuums (absolute empty space) the English physicist Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) formulated tha theory of gravity. Albert Einstein carried out research on quantum fields, and challenged the validity of the concept of empty space; he recognized that vacuity does not mean mere emptiness. In his treatise on the special relativity theory, Einstein showed that light and electromagnetic fields are matter, and can be transmitted through empty space. He negated the existence of ether. He also proved that there are areas where Newtonian physics cannot be successfully applied. The validity of the theory of relativity suggests that absolute vacuum does not exist.

Prior to the Warring States era and the Spring and Autumn period in China, during the Western Zhou dynasty before 776 b.c., time was measured using a leaking vessel. In order to determine the wind’s direction and the twenty-four periods of the lunar year the Chinese used a sundial, measuring the shadow cast by a jade tablet with a square base and a pointed top. These instruments are examples of some of the early methods of investigation people used in order to penetrate the origin and source of the myriad things in the universe. Also in China, the theory of the five elements was proposed, suggesting that the myriad things in the universe were formed from the five basic elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth.

The theory of yin and yang was also formulated in China. This theory used the contradicting and opposing motion of yin and yang to explain all kinds of phenomena and events in nature. A theory concerning the hexagrams of the Yi Jing (Book of Changes) was also formulated. The broken and unbroken lines in these symbols denote yin and yang. In groups of three, the lines form trigrams, basic symbols that represent the occurrence of specific events. For example (     ) represents water. The combinations and permutations together give a total of sixty-four gua (hexagrams) and three hundred and eighty-four yao (the individual lines in the hexagrams) which are used to explain the ever-changing phenomena in nature.

In the Water and Earth Chapter of Guan Zhi’s treatise it is said that water unites the source of myriad things. (Guan Zhi was also known as Guan Zhong, (d. 644 b.c.), the prime minister of the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period.) In the fourth century b.c., Song Yan and Yin Wen proposed the theory of energy (in Chinese, qi), which stated that energy unites the myriad things in the universe. This theory had its impact on the development of the theory of primal energy that was developed later in China.

In the book Mo Jing by Mo Zi, the concepts of time and space as well as a dynamic of mechanics were recorded, in which time and space were defined as ‘mi dao time’ and ‘mi dao place.’ Thus a definite time and place were synthesized, and the concepts of time (jiu) and space (zhou) were formulated. Mo Zi was of the opinion that motion refers to a change in the positions of objects, while stillness (zhi) refers to objects remaining stationary at a certain position for a certain period of time. Mo Zi carried his in-depth analysis on motion further in discussing the concept of ‘an instant’ (wu jiu) He explained that there is an intimate relationship between the motion and time of objects. In Mo Jing, Mo Zi also suggests that matter cannot be destroyed. An early version of the theory of elements was also proposed here.

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 b.c.), the founder of formalistic logic, suggested the continuity of space and time for matter. He disagreed with the concept of vacuum and postulated that through intellectual reasoning and activity sense perception can reach the peak of ordinary abstract ideas. Four factors that influence changes in the motion of physical bodies are: the apparent cause, the teleological cause, material, and momentum. All matter is endowed with a certain aim or ‘natural substance’ Heavenly bodies constantly orbit around the earth at constant velocities (earth being the center of the Aristotelian universe) and form the four basic elements of water, fire, air, and earth, which contitute all matter on earth. Inclining towards or converging at a specific space belonging to it, matter finds its state of equilibrium and tends to dwell at that location. Thus according to their natural motion, heavy substances sink and light ones rise; this motion is due to their inherent nature.

Between 1869 and 1871, the Russian chemist Dmitri I. Mendeleyev was the first one to comprehensively arrange the periodic table. Based on the ascending order of the atomic numbers of the sixty-three elements, he predicted the properties of three undiscovered elements. These elements were isotopes of aluminum and curium, which were discovered later. The actual measured chemical and physical properties basically agree with Mendeleyev’s prediction. They have been artifficially fused together as element 108 and element 109.

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