Physics envy

The term physics envy is used to criticize the modern writing and research of academics working in the "softer sciences", such as economics, sociology, psychology, political science, or anthropology.^[1][2][3] The term argues that writing and working practices in these disciplines have overused confusing jargon and complicated mathematics to seem more 'rigorous' as in heavily mathematics-based natural science subjects like physics.^[4][5]

Background

The success of physics in "mathematicizing" itself, particularly since Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica, is generally considered remarkable and often disproportionate compared to other areas of inquiry.^[6] "Physics envy" refers to the envy that arises from the perceived inadequacies of scholars in other disciplines for the mathematical precision of fundamental concepts obtained by physicists.

More specifically, the term is usually in reference to the social sciences, since these academic areas have the reputation of expressing their concepts with an artificial complexity similar to mathematics and math-based fields as a form of obscurantism. This reputation is at least partially due to scholarly hoaxes like the infamous Sokal affair, which brought the intellectual rigor of prominent social science journals into question.

Evolutionary biologist Ernst Mayr discusses the issue of the inability to reduce biology to its mathematical basis in his book What Makes Biology Unique?.^[7] Noam Chomsky discusses the ability and desirability of reduction to its mathematical basis in his article "Mysteries of Nature: How Deeply Hidden."^[8] Chomsky contributed extensively to the development of the field of theoretical linguistics, a formal science.

Examples

The social sciences have been accused of possessing an inferiority complex, which has been associated with physics envy. For instance, positivist scientists accept a mistaken image of natural science so it can be applied to the social sciences.^[9] The phenomenon also exists in business strategy research as demonstrated by historian Alfred Chandler Jr.'s strategy structure model. This framework holds that a firm must evaluate the environment in order to set up its structure that will implement strategies.^[10] Chandler also maintained that there is close connection "between mathematics, physics, and engineering graduates and the systemizing of the business strategy paradigm".^[10]

In the field of artificial intelligence (AI), physics envy arises in cases of projects that lack interaction with each other, using only one idea due to the manner by which new hypotheses are tested and discarded in the pursuit of one true intelligence.^[11]

See also

• Scientism
• Academese
• Newtonianism
• Philosophy of biology
• Philosophy of physics
• Philosophy of science
• Reductionism
• Unreasonable ineffectiveness of mathematics