Symmetry in physics expresses regularities and invariances: patterns in how systems behave under transformations. At root, symmetry is a relational descriptor, not a generator of events. Yet physics often treats symmetry as if it were causal, a force or entity that determines reality.
This is the distortion: a descriptor of relational structure recast as a causal agent.
The Physics Move
Noether’s theorem links symmetries to conserved quantities, which is often phrased as “symmetry causes conservation.”
Gauge symmetries in field theory are sometimes described as dictating particle interactions, giving the impression that symmetry itself drives phenomena.
In cosmology, symmetry breaking is often anthropomorphised as a process “forcing” structure into existence.
Why This Distorts Ontology
Symmetry does not act; it describes patterns in relational actualisation. Treating it as a causal agent inverts the proper hierarchy: relational structure is made to appear as a source of dynamics rather than a descriptor of them.
The distortion lies in turning pattern into actor, misplacing the locus of explanation.
The Relational Reframing
From a relational standpoint:
Conserved quantities arise because relational alignment is constrained in ways that exhibit symmetry.
Gauge interactions are intelligible as relational constraints; particles do not “obey” symmetry—they co-actualise consistent relations.
Symmetry breaking is the manifestation of new relational possibilities coming into alignment, not a process imposed by some abstract entity.
Thus, symmetry is intelligible — but only as relational structure, not as an independent causal agent.
No comments:
Post a Comment