Existence of mind-independent physical reality

Ascertain whether a mind-independent physical reality exists, namely whether the rules governing the physical world are independent of observers’ perceptions and can, in principle, be discovered through successive approximations and empirical tests.

Background

One of the essay’s core assumptions is that physics aims at describing a mind-independent reality, even while acknowledging that such a commitment is pragmatic and revisable in light of evidence.

The author notes explicitly that this foundational commitment is not established, underscoring a fundamental unresolved question at the interface of physics and philosophy.