The notion of a thing is thus seen to be an abstraction, in which it is conceptually separated from its infinite background and substructure. Actuall… - David Bohm

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The notion of a thing is thus seen to be an abstraction, in which it is conceptually separated from its infinite background and substructure. Actually, however, a thing does not and could not exist apart from the context from which it has thus been conceptually abstracted. And therefore the world is not made by putting together the various “things” in it, but, rather, these things are only approximately what we find on analysis in certain contexts and under suitable conditions.

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About David Bohm

David Joseph Bohm (20 December 1917 – 27 October 1992) was an American-British scientist who has been described as one of the most significant theoretical physicists of the 20th century and who contributed unorthodox ideas to quantum theory, neuropsychology and the philosophy of mind.

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Also Known As

Native Name: David Joseph Bohm Böhm Dávid József

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Additional quotes by David Bohm

My suggestion is that at each state the proper order of operation of the mind requires an overall grasp of what is generally known, not only in formal logical, mathematical terms, but also intuitively, in images, feelings, poetic usage of language, etc. (Perhaps we could say that this is what is involved in harmony between the 'left brain' and the 'right brain'). This kind of overall way of thinking is not only a fertile source of new theoretical ideas: it is needed for the human mind to function in a generally harmonious way, which could in turn help to make possible an orderly and stable society.

Paradigms clearly involve, in a key way, the process of taking ideas and concepts for granted, without realizing that this is in fact going on. Since this process takes place as the mind attempts to defend itself against what it believes to be a severe disturbance, a paradigm tends to interfere with that free play of the mind that is essential for creativity. Instead it encourages the process of playing false, especially in deep and subtle areas.

There is no reason why an extraphysical general principle is necessarily to be avoided, since such principles could conceivably serve as useful working hypotheses. For the history of scientific research is full of examples in which it was very fruitful indeed to assume that certain objects or elements might be real, long before any procedures were known which would permit them to be observed directly.

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