Revisitando el problema de Wigner: la irrazonable eficacia de las matemáticas en las ciencias naturales
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22370/sst.2025.10.4912Keywords:
Wigner’s enigma, applicability of mathematics, laws of nature, efficacy of mathematics, philosophy of scienceAbstract
This paper examines the unreasonable e↵ectiveness of mathematics in the natural sciences according to Eugene Wigner’s influential essay, focusing the discussion on contemporary clarifications of this philosophical problematic. The analysis concentrates on how mathematics, despite having been developed without a specific physical purpose, turns out to be an e↵ective tool in the formulation of physical theories. In addition, the clarifications proposed by contemporary philosophers of Wigner’s argumentation to avoid misunderstandings in the interpretation of the enigma are exposed, addressing the main criticisms and reinterpretations that have arisen since the original publication of his essay. In this sense, through the concrete example of the simple harmonic oscillator, it illustrates how abstract mathematical concepts find a place of application in the physical realm. The aim of the essay is to o↵er a detailed and accessible explanation of the issue, focusing on highlighting the continuing importance of this problem in contemporary philosophy and its impact on the modern understanding of the natural sciences.
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