God and Nature Fall 2020
On the Duality of Human Nature and the Behavior of Quantum Particles |
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By Ranjit A. Thuraisingham
In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul writes “May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1), implying that humans are created as having a spirit, soul, and body. The body, the material component, is easy to comprehend; not so the other two components. The distinction between soul and spirit is not clear, although the soul is considered to be related to our emotions and feelings. Since these, in turn, are shown to be related to the hormones and chemicals present in our physical body, it seems reasonable to consider the person as consisting of a spirit and a material body.
However, I do not take the dualist view that the spirit and the body are separate components. Rather, I believe that they constitute different dimensions of a person. These dimensions are not independent of each other, and they collectively define the human.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul writes “May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1), implying that humans are created as having a spirit, soul, and body. The body, the material component, is easy to comprehend; not so the other two components. The distinction between soul and spirit is not clear, although the soul is considered to be related to our emotions and feelings. Since these, in turn, are shown to be related to the hormones and chemicals present in our physical body, it seems reasonable to consider the person as consisting of a spirit and a material body.
However, I do not take the dualist view that the spirit and the body are separate components. Rather, I believe that they constitute different dimensions of a person. These dimensions are not independent of each other, and they collectively define the human.
"The principle of complementarity in quantum mechanics states that the result of an observation is dependent on the focus of the observer." |
In Genesis 2:7, the creation of man is described as follows: “Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being.” This description does not deprecate body in favor of spirit but instead shows that they exist together to comprise a complete person. Such a perception is in agreement with anthropological monism (2, 3), which takes a holistic view of a person. Biblical theology also favors a monist interpretation (3, 4). In dualist anthropology, on the other hand, the human is a combination of the separable entities of body and spirit.
The presence of a spiritual dimension in us would imply that there is an aspect of our behavior which will be associated with the spirit. This is referenced in St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians 5: 16-26, where Paul distinguishes the behavior of the flesh from that of the spirit and exhorts believers to show the behavior of the spirit instead of the flesh. Some of the actions led by the spirit are love, joy, and patience, while those of the flesh are sexual immorality, hatred, and envy. Which behavior a human manifests will depend on which dimension of our life dominates. If the dimension associated with the body dominates, then the behavior will reflect the body, while if the spirit dominates, it will reflect the spirit. Thus, although a person is united in body and spirit, he will manifest dual nature.
Quantum particles include sub-atomic particles such as electrons, protons, and neutrons. These building blocks of nature are the constituents of the atoms and molecules which make up our bodies. The principles that govern the behavior of these particles are very different from the laws of classical mechanics that apply to large objects. Certain experiments can only be explained if the particles behave like waves, while in some others they seem to be acting as material objects. Let us explore this.
According to Planck’s quantum hypothesis, radiation can have particle (‘photon’) characteristics. Then, by symmetry, one would expect a particle to be endowed with wave characteristics. The theory of wave-particle duality put forward by de Broglie (6) states that any matter, whatever its size, has an associated wavelength, even though it may not be in the measurable range for large objects. However, for quantum particles such as electrons, these wave properties are measurable, and their wave nature is observed in diffraction experiments. To understand the photoelectric effects and nuclear scattering experiments, these quantum particles are considered as material objects. It is not that they have two different components—they are single objects that can manifest two different natures.
Why do we see the wave nature in certain experiments and not in others? Similarly, why is the particle nature observed in certain experiments but and not in others? The principle of complementarity (7) in quantum mechanics states that the result of an observation is dependent on the focus of the observer. When an observer focuses his attention on a certain aspect of the observable, the result is different from that obtained if the focus had been elsewhere. In other words, in experiments when the focus of our observation is on one variable, this precludes the simultaneous observation of its complement. Wave- and particle-related properties are complementary variables.
Biblical texts suggest that humans are a unity of body and spirit, which are not separable entities. A way to understand this is to consider these aspects as separate dimensions of a person. Such a view is expressed in anthropological monism. Although body and spirit are united in a person, the presence of these two dimensions would mean that he is capable of dual behavior. When quantum particles are examined, we find evidence for such an understanding. The dual nature of the quantum objects which are the building blocks of nature show that it is not unreasonable to assume the biblical monist interpretation of a person. The science of quantum objects further teaches us why we fail to discern this spiritual dimension in ourselves. In quantum objects, focusing only on one variable precludes the observation of the complementary variable. Thus, the absence of observing the spiritual is related to our focus solely on the material.
References:
Ranjit A. Thuraisingham is a theoretical chemist who holds a PhD in molecular quantum mechanics from the University of Cambridge, UK. His scientific publications are in areas related to molecular physics, acoustic scattering, molecular neuroscience, and biomedical signal analysis. Now retired, he is associated with the Rehabilitation Studies Unit at the University of Sydney as an honorary research fellow. He is a Christian who is engaged in trying to complement his understanding of Christianity with quantum physics.
The presence of a spiritual dimension in us would imply that there is an aspect of our behavior which will be associated with the spirit. This is referenced in St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians 5: 16-26, where Paul distinguishes the behavior of the flesh from that of the spirit and exhorts believers to show the behavior of the spirit instead of the flesh. Some of the actions led by the spirit are love, joy, and patience, while those of the flesh are sexual immorality, hatred, and envy. Which behavior a human manifests will depend on which dimension of our life dominates. If the dimension associated with the body dominates, then the behavior will reflect the body, while if the spirit dominates, it will reflect the spirit. Thus, although a person is united in body and spirit, he will manifest dual nature.
Quantum particles include sub-atomic particles such as electrons, protons, and neutrons. These building blocks of nature are the constituents of the atoms and molecules which make up our bodies. The principles that govern the behavior of these particles are very different from the laws of classical mechanics that apply to large objects. Certain experiments can only be explained if the particles behave like waves, while in some others they seem to be acting as material objects. Let us explore this.
According to Planck’s quantum hypothesis, radiation can have particle (‘photon’) characteristics. Then, by symmetry, one would expect a particle to be endowed with wave characteristics. The theory of wave-particle duality put forward by de Broglie (6) states that any matter, whatever its size, has an associated wavelength, even though it may not be in the measurable range for large objects. However, for quantum particles such as electrons, these wave properties are measurable, and their wave nature is observed in diffraction experiments. To understand the photoelectric effects and nuclear scattering experiments, these quantum particles are considered as material objects. It is not that they have two different components—they are single objects that can manifest two different natures.
Why do we see the wave nature in certain experiments and not in others? Similarly, why is the particle nature observed in certain experiments but and not in others? The principle of complementarity (7) in quantum mechanics states that the result of an observation is dependent on the focus of the observer. When an observer focuses his attention on a certain aspect of the observable, the result is different from that obtained if the focus had been elsewhere. In other words, in experiments when the focus of our observation is on one variable, this precludes the simultaneous observation of its complement. Wave- and particle-related properties are complementary variables.
Biblical texts suggest that humans are a unity of body and spirit, which are not separable entities. A way to understand this is to consider these aspects as separate dimensions of a person. Such a view is expressed in anthropological monism. Although body and spirit are united in a person, the presence of these two dimensions would mean that he is capable of dual behavior. When quantum particles are examined, we find evidence for such an understanding. The dual nature of the quantum objects which are the building blocks of nature show that it is not unreasonable to assume the biblical monist interpretation of a person. The science of quantum objects further teaches us why we fail to discern this spiritual dimension in ourselves. In quantum objects, focusing only on one variable precludes the observation of the complementary variable. Thus, the absence of observing the spiritual is related to our focus solely on the material.
References:
- Quotes from the Bible were taken from the New American Standard Bible, Reference Edition (1973), Foundation Press, CA, USA.
- W.S. Brown, N. Murphy and H. N. Maloney, (1998) Whatever happened to the Soul? Scientific and Theological Portraits of Human Nature (Minneapolis: Fortress Press).
- Brian Edgar, (2000) “Paul and the Person”, Science and Christian Belief, Vol. 12, No 2, 151-164.
- J. B. Green, (1999) “Scripture and the Human Person: Further Reflections”, Science and Christian Belief, Vol. 11, no 1, 62.
- J. B. Green, (2008) Body, Soul, and Human Life: The nature of humanity in the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academics).
- L. de Broglie, (1924) “Recherches sur la théorie des quanta” (Researches on the quantum theory), Thesis: L. de Broglie, Ann. Phys. (Paris) 3, 22 (1925). Reprinted in Ann. Found. Louis de Broglie 17 (1992) p. 22.
- Bohr, N., (1999) “Causality and Complementarity: Epistemological Lessons of Studies in Atomic Physics,” Ox Bow Press:
Ranjit A. Thuraisingham is a theoretical chemist who holds a PhD in molecular quantum mechanics from the University of Cambridge, UK. His scientific publications are in areas related to molecular physics, acoustic scattering, molecular neuroscience, and biomedical signal analysis. Now retired, he is associated with the Rehabilitation Studies Unit at the University of Sydney as an honorary research fellow. He is a Christian who is engaged in trying to complement his understanding of Christianity with quantum physics.