ABSTRACT

Quasirealism is a philosophical perspective on science that identifies otherwise clearly unphysical mathematical conveniences as having real existence in the physical world. There are uncanny similarities between modern physics and ancient Gnosticism that generate a culture in which quasirealism thrives, much to the detriment of the reductionist quest. The dream of a final, unifying, almost supernatural mathematical theory energizes quasirealism, making it immune to criticism. To the ears of physicists reared in the halls of modern undergraduate physics programs, criticism of quasirealist assumptions will sound quaint, even heretical. Physicists, in particular, have become acclimatized to the assumption that everyday notions are grossly insufficient to describe the working of physical reality in a fundamental sense. Solid-state physicists use the quasiparticle paradigm to great effect and are generally quite careful in remembering the limits of this technique. Physicists communicate their work to the public using classical imagery such as “particle,” “force,” and “mass.”