ISSN: 2641-9130
Authors: Nugayev RM*
Einstein’s 1905 ‘annus mirabilis’ constituted the focal point of the second scientific revolution. To comprehend in what subtle ways Einstein’s medley 1905 works hang together one has to pay special tribute to his strive for unity evinced in the stubborn attempts to coordinate the profound research traditions of classical physics. Though Einstein’s adamant efforts sprung out of Max Planck’s pioneering attempts to understand electromagnetic phenomena through the lense of conceptual structures of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. Einstein’s light quanta and special relativity turn out to be only pencil sketches of a more mature and oil painting, mere milestones of implementation of maxwellian electrodynamics and statistical thermodynamics efficacious reconcilement research programme. The conception of luminiferous ether was a significant snag for Einstein’s statistical thermodynamics in which the pivotal role was played by the light quanta paper. Herewith Einstein was fully aware that his light quanta hypothesis was too audacious to be taken literally. Hence he posited the ‘electrodynamics of moving bodies’ in a markedly Machian, phenomenological way and the basic relativity postulate was proposed as originating from ‘ instinctive knowledge’ . Though in his criticism of the mouldy research traditions of classical physics Einstein was obviously influenced by David Hume and Ernst Mach, when related to creative momenta, his 1905 reconcilement modus operandi was initiated by Mach’s pre-eminent principle of economy of thought but taken in the context of Stevin-Mach ‘instinctive knowledge’ doctrine and with promising inclinations of regulative spirit of Kantian and Duhem’s epistemologies.
Keywords: Scientific revolution; Annus mirabilis; Einstein; Light quanta; Special relativity; Planck; Stevinus; Instinctive knowledge; Mach; Economy of thought; Duhem; Kant; Regulative principles
