Was Quantum Physicist Werner Heisenberg an Idealist? (Part One)

Bernardo Kastrup, Deepak Chopra and other idealists have attempted to initiate Heisenberg into the idealist camp. Are they right to do so?

(i) Introduction
(ii) Heisenberg on 19th-Century Materialism
(iii) Heisenberg on Dialectical Materialism
iv) Heisenberg on Einstein’s Materialism and Realism
(v) Heisenberg on Positivism and Idealism
(vi) What is Materialism?
(vii) Materialism Through the Eyes of Contemporary Idealists

Almost all the quotes from Werner Heisenberg in the following essay are taken from his book Physics and Philosophy: The Revolution in Modern Science. This book began life as Heisenberg’s 1955–6 Gifford lectures at the University of St Andrews (Scotland). It was first published in book form in 1958.

Introduction

Idealists, anti-materialists, New Agers and mystics often quote and mention Werner Heisenberg to back up what they already believe anyway. In other words, when you look into this, it can quickly be seen…