# Quote — Werner Heisenberg, Physics and Philosophy

> The law of causality is no longer applied in quantum theory and the law of conservation of matter is no longer true for the elementary particles. Obviously Kant could not have foreseen the new discoveries, but since he was convinced that his concepts would be "the basis of any future metaphysics that can be called science" it is interesting to see where his arguments have been wrong.

- Author: [Werner Heisenberg](https://www.leafyquotes.com/werner-heisenberg.md)
- Book: [Physics and Philosophy](https://www.leafyquotes.com/werner-heisenberg/physics-and-philosophy.md)
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Werner_Heisenberg#Physics_and_Philosophy_(1958)) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/werner-heisenberg/physics-and-philosophy/the-law-of-causality

## More from this book

> But the resemblance of the modern views to those of Plato and the Pythagoreans can be carried somewhat further. The elementary particles in Plato's Timaeus are finally not substance but mathematical forms. "All things are numbers" is a sentence attributed to Pythagoras. The only mathematical forms available at that time were such geometric forms as the regular solids or the triangles which form their surface. In modern quantum theory there can be no doubt that the elementary particles will finally also be mathematical forms but of a much more complicated nature.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/werner-heisenberg/physics-and-philosophy/but-the-resemblance.md)

> The equation of motion holds at all times, it is in this sense eternal, whereas the geometrical forms, like the orbits, are changing. Therefore, the mathematical forms that represent the elementary particles will be solutions of some eternal law of motion for matter. Actually this is a problem which has not yet been solved.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/werner-heisenberg/physics-and-philosophy/the-equation-of-motion.md)

> The physicist may be satisfied when he has the mathematical scheme and knows how to use for the interpretation of the experiments. But he has to speak about his results also to non-physicists who will not be satisfied unless some explanation is given in plain language. Even for the physicist the description in plain language will be the criterion of the degree of understanding that has been reached.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/werner-heisenberg/physics-and-philosophy/the-physicist-may.md)