I once tried to bring the following question up at a lecture when I was a student. Nobody had a clue what I was talking about and I wished I’d never opened my mouth. I think it fits here, so lets drop it into the mix. Considering that it’s been in the back of my mind for a long time, this post is probably more therapy than anything else. Anyway, here goes…
There is a philosophical problem that Francis Schaeffer talked about a lot in his books: the issue of unity and diversity. As I understand it the problem is this: if ultimate reality is unity (e.g. as in pantheism) then how do we account for all the diversity we see? On the other hand, is ultimate reality is diverse, then how do we explain the essential unity between everything? Schaeffer’s answer was that, from a Christian point of view, the Trinity is the answer — ultimate reality is a (mysterious) unity-in-diversity.
My question is then whether the same philosophical problem arises in the context of the search for a Grand Unified Theory. If we have a theory in which all is unity (e.g. as is hoped in string theory) then do we have adequate basis for the diversity we see? On the other hand, if we are left with diverse theories, why does the universe show such unity (which I guess is a motivator for the search for GUTs)?
I can see two options: First, creation has diversity which is tied together by the fact that God brought everything into being. So, our theories will have diversity(1) and the unity can never be explained internally. Second, and far more speculatively (some may say off-the-wall), perhaps at root creation reflects the Trinity. Perhaps there is a unity-in-diversity there that we will never be able to comprehend; that no one theory will ever express adequately.
The second option brings us back to our ‘creative interpretation’ discussion. If creation were like that then we will never be able to describe reality ‘as it is’ and, as with discussions of the Trinity, our best hope is analogies and metaphors (albeit very effective ones!).
(1) I’m leaving the definition of ‘diversity’ a bit vague. It seems to me like full blown string theory has very little diversity, if any. On the other hand many particle theories have diversity of particles, but unified forces. And currently, physics has diverse particles and forces that can’t be unified.
(2) Having said all this, I like stiring theory, so I’m happy to be proved wrong!
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