At the Frontier of Knowledge

TL;DR

This philosophical paper explores the limits of human knowledge in science, arguing that it is ultimately impossible to determine whether we have reached the fundamental limits of understanding in physics.

Contribution

It provides a conceptual analysis of the reasons why scientific progress might be impossible and demonstrates the difficulty in deciding which scenario applies.

Findings

Identifies three reasons for doubt about scientific progress

Highlights three reasons why progress might be impossible

Concludes that it is undecidable whether progress is ultimately possible

Abstract

At any time, there are areas of science where we are standing at the frontier of knowledge, and can wonder whether we have reached a fundamental limit to human understanding. What is ultimately possible in physics? I will argue here that it is ultimately impossible to answer this question. For this, I will first distinguish three different reasons why the possibility of progress is doubted and offer examples for these cases. Based on this, one can then identify three reasons for why progress might indeed be impossible, and finally conclude that it is impossible to decide which case we are facing.