1. The Forever War : Understanding, Science Fiction, and Thought Experiments
- Author
-
Harald A. Wiltsche
- Subjects
Thought experiment ,Science fiction ,Understanding ,Filosofi ,Metaphysics ,Sci-Fi ,050905 science studies ,0603 philosophy, ethics and religion ,Special relativity (alternative formulations) ,Existentialism ,Article ,Thought experiments ,Philosophy of language ,symbols.namesake ,Einstein ,Philosophy of science ,Philosophy ,05 social sciences ,General Social Sciences ,06 humanities and the arts ,Epistemology ,060302 philosophy ,symbols ,0509 other social sciences - Abstract
The aim of this paper is to show that scientific thought experiments and works of science fiction are highly suitable tools for facilitating and increasing understanding of science. After comparing one of Einstein’s most famous thought experiments with the science fiction novel “The Forever War”, I shall argue that both proceed similarly in making some of the more outlandish consequences of special relativity theory intelligible. However, as I will also point out, understanding in thought experiments and understanding in science fiction differ in one important respect: While the former aim at what I shall call “physical understanding”, science fiction novels typically have “existential understanding” as their target. Funding: Linkoping University; Austrian Research Fund (FWF)Austrian Science Fund (FWF) [P31758]
- Published
- 2021