What are the advances in the modern mechanical view of nature?

Ancient naïve materialism was the initial form of materialist philosophy. The basic characteristic of naïve materialism is the attempt to find the unity of natural phenomena with infinite diversity in some concrete tangible objects, in some special things.

Naive materialism affirms the material origin and unity of the world, but due to the limitation of the level of understanding, it always regards a certain or some specific material forms as the material origin and unified material basis of the world. For example, the ancient Greek Thales believed that all things were born from water and returned to water, and the ancient Chinese Five Elements Doctrine believed that metal, wood, water, fire, and earth are the five basic elements that generate all things. These are typical views of ancient naïve materialism.

The atomism of Democritus and Epicurus in ancient Europe and the monism of qi in ancient China still belong to the category of naïve materialism, although to a certain extent they break through the limitations of reducing the origin of the world to one or some specific forms of matter.

Mechanical materialism. It acknowledges the primacy of matter, which is materialistic. But to think that everything is isolated, static, and unchanging, is mechanical or metaphysical.

Time and space are not the storehouses of things, but the forms of existence of things in motion. Time and space are inseparable from things, not between storing and being stored, not between big and small. To separate them is to treat them as things that exist in isolation from each other, so it is a kind of mechanical materialist view of time and space.

The main exponent was Feuerbach in Germany.

It played an important role in the development of science at that time to get rid of the shackles of religion. Other equals are added.

The limitations of the mechanistic view of nature are embodied in five aspects: (1) The mechanical composition theory holds that the whole is the mechanical addition of parts, which denies the randomness of things. (2) The theory of linear motion reflects a deterministic conception that denies the diversity and multi-layeredness of things.

3) Rigid identity theory is a simple way of dealing with things, which denies the dialectical system of filial piety and hatred between things. (4) The theory of simple and fierce single foundation reflects the belief in the existence of the smallest bricks, which restricts the development of science. (5) The theory of external causes of action assumes the premise of things and does not recognize the interaction between substances.

Progressive significance. After all, the mechanical view of nature explains all kinds of natural phenomena with material causes, and thus it plays an important positive role in emancipating natural science from religious theology in the struggle against religious theology.

The difference between the two: the mechanical view of nature is one-sided, isolated, absolute, and ultimately returns to theological God; Dialectical view of nature: all kinds of things in nature are universally connected; Matter and motion in nature are inseparable, and matter and motion not only have quantitative differences and changes, but also qualitative differences and changes that mechanists are unwilling to admit.

Mechanical view of nature:

Nature is a machine;

The movement and regularity of this machine are imposed on it by external reason;

The order of nature is the expression of reason;

This intellect is an extraordinary creator and ruler;

Key points of the mechanistic view of nature:

1. The universe is like an empty shelf, absolutely stationary—absolute space;

2 Time passes at an equal velocity forever and has nothing to do with the motion of an object;

3. Mechanical motion is the only law of motion, and the universe is a big machine;

4 Methods of analysis and decomposition are the main methods of studying nature.

The product of the development of natural science to a certain stage, which is compatible with the level of scientific discovery at that time. The mechanistic view of nature became the view held by the vast majority of scientists for a considerable period of time thereafter.

But he is static, one-sided, isolated, absolute, and ultimately returns to the theology of God.

The main content of the dialectical view of nature is: stuffiness.

All kinds of things in nature are universally connected; Matter and motion in nature are inseparable, and matter and motion not only have quantitative differences and changes, but also qualitative differences and changes that mechanists are unwilling to admit, which is the unity of diversity. The high-level movement form is transformed from the low-level movement form, which includes the low-level movement form, but cannot be completely reduced to the low-level movement form and the song style. Matter is an evolutionary and eternal cycle in which any finite mode of existence of matter, whether it is the sun or nebula, individual animals or animal species, chemical synthesis or decomposition, is eternally cyclical.

Metaphysics. It does not recognize the dialectical nature of nature, so it is impossible for it to make a thorough materialism about nature.

Explanations inevitably lead to idealism.

and mysticism. In order for science to develop, concepts must be renewed. The great strides of the natural sciences in the century have been accompanied by the opening of gaps in the metaphysical view of nature.

The discovery of the law of conservation of energy and the law of transitivity, as well as many other scientific achievements arising from it, show that all movements in nature are universally connected and constantly changing from one quality to another. The cell theory and Darwin's theory of evolution reveal the mystery of the process of the generation, growth and construction of organisms, and scientifically and comprehensively demonstrate the origin and evolution of species. Engels.

It is precisely with the history of the development of philosophy and natural science, especially the history of modern philosophy and natural science, that proves that the metaphysical view of natural science has become impossible due to its own development, thus profoundly revealing the historical inevitability of dialectical materialism in replacing the metaphysical view of nature.