Beyond clouds and watches: the perception of reality by David Bohm

Abstract

In this article, I present and discuss a specific aspect of the scientific view of the quantum physicist David Bohm (1917-1992) about reality. In the discussion, we intend to show that this view is based on the transcendence of the determinism-indeterminism dichotomy. Through some of his theories, such as the plasma theory, the ontological interpretation of quantum theory and the scientific program of totality and of the implicate order and explicate order, I aimed to defend the idea that Bohm’s view is that reality is a process located beyond the “clouds and watches”, an expression borrowed from the philosopher of science Karl Popper (1902-1994). Thus, this view opens space for understanding that creativity and freedom are fundamental to nature and to reality as a whole