The Character Of Physical Law By Dr. Feynman

Within The Character of Physical Law, Dr. Feynman details the characteristics of nature. He describes nature as being incredibly complex, pointing to examples such as the orbits of the planets around the sun and tidal movement. Yet, he is able to describe nature as being simple. For a potential reader this can be confusing, as something cannot simultaneously be simple and complex. It is through the understanding and the application of logic that Feynman connects simple ideas to larger and more complex ideas, additionally an understanding of logic leads to an understanding of the physical laws, in addition to allowing a simple understanding of natural tendencies which cannot be described by the physical laws.
When Feynman discusses mathematics, …show more content…
The readers are informed in the first lecture that the physical laws that govern how our universe interacts are mathematical. This implies that in order to understand these laws one must understand mathematics. This point is further examined when Feynman demonstrates the inability to describe the law of gravity linguistically, and the ease of describing this law mathematically. Feynman’s argument that mathematics is the only means by which we can understand the natural laws is further reinforced when he says, “If you want to learn about nature, to appreciate nature, it is necessary to understand the language that she speaks in” (58). Through this statement Feynman makes it totally clear that he believes that to understand the physical laws, one must understand mathematics. Thus, for an individual to comprehend the natural laws, that individual must also have a thorough understanding of logic. This is implied due to the fact that mathematics is, as described by Feynman, a combination of language and logic. Moreover, the implication that one must understand logic to understand the physical laws is a demonstration of the means by which Feynman views the natural world as being simple. Near the conclusion of his first lecture Feynman articulates that gravity, among with the other physical laws, is “simple in its pattern” (33). Here Feynman has emphasized that the physical laws are simple in themselves, giving the example of the equation for gravity being both short and leaving nothing out. If one understands mathematics, then he or she could easily understand the physical laws as they are mathematical. Coupled with the fact that Feynman possesses an understanding of logic, his describing the physical laws as simple, demonstrates how he can describe the natural world as simple. It is clearly established that he is able to connect the simple ideas presented