H.A. Lorentz’ visie op wetenschap

Abstract

H.A. Lorentz' views on science H.A. Lorentz was a reticent man, not merely where his personal life was concerned, but with regard to all non-scientific issues (with the sole exception of the internationalist movement in which he played a prominent role). Historiographically speaking, this has resulted in a rather bleak and timeless image of Lorentz as a physicist and intellectual. In this article we aim to add some historical colour to this image by discussing, on the basis of the scarce documentary evidence available, Lorentz' views on the nature and social meaning of science. Given the paucity of data, we do this by comparing Lorentz with some of his more outspoken contemporaries who held views that can be shown to have been similar or dissimilar to his own. We also show that this approach can be helpful to obtain a better insight into Lorentz' physics. We shall argue that Lorentz' views on science can help to explain his lifelong adherence to the ether concept and his never-ending doubts with regard to Einstein's special theory of relativity. Instrumental in this context is a letter from Lorentz which shows that he was strongly inclined to accept Fechner's theory of psychical monism.