Rovelli’s New Book Argues Physics Can’t Give Us an Absolute View of Reality

Carlo Rovelli, one of the world’s most respected physicists, has written a book that does something rare: it argues that modern physics actually undermines the idea of a perfect, knowable universe. The book is called On the Equality of All Things, and it is being reviewed as a major challenge to how science presents itself to the public.

The review frames the book’s argument as a rejection of the “God’s-eye view” — the idea that physics gives us a complete, objective picture of reality. Instead, Rovelli says, physics shows us the world as viewed from within.

Rovelli’s Central Claim

Rovelli opens by pointing out that our experiences shape our intuitions. We live on a solid planet, so we think there are solid objects. We have fixed reference points like mountain tops, so we think objects have fixed locations in space. We measure motion against those fixed points, so we think we can measure it absolutely.

Modern physics has shown all three to be illusions. Einstein’s relativity revealed that measurements of time and space are relative — they depend on the observer. Quantum mechanics showed that the properties of particles cannot be separated from how they are measured. A particle’s state is not determined until it is observed.

Rovelli argues that these findings mean there is no ultimate or absolute perspective on reality. Everything exists only in relation to everything else. There is no way to step outside the circle of perspectives.

The Relational Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

Rovelli devotes significant space to a view of quantum mechanics called the relational interpretation. When quantum physics emerged in the early 20th century, it shocked physicists because it suggested that objects do not have definite properties until they are measured. The famous Schrödinger’s Cat thought experiment illustrates this: a cat in a box can be both dead and alive until the box is opened and a measurement is made.

Some physicists responded by inventing interpretations that claim the universe splits into separate parallel versions of itself during measurement. Rovelli rejects these as nonsense. He says the lesson of quantum mechanics is relationality — that properties are always relational, tied to the systems they describe.

Philosophical Sources Beyond Europe

One of the book’s most distinctive features is its engagement with philosophical traditions beyond the Greek and European canon. Rovelli draws heavily on classical Indian and Asian thinkers, including Nagarjuna from the 2nd century and Zhuangzi from 4th century BC China. He treats these figures as the equals of Plato and Aristotle in their penetration of difficult questions of reality.

What the Review Says About the Book

The review praises Rovelli’s lyricism in defending science despite his radical claims. He argues that science is an invitation to the great creative effort of seeking knowledge, producing results that are both profoundly beautiful and useful.

The review also notes places where Rovelli can be disagreed with, particularly his dismissal of the primacy of experience. He waves away the philosopher Henri Bergson’s emphasis that lived time is essentially different from time represented in science with a hand gesture. The review calls this “the stuff of creative and useful future arguments.”

The Radical Nature of the Argument

Rovelli’s position is radical for a physicist of his stature. It directly contradicts the scientific triumphalism found in many popular books about science. It also crashes against the views of many contemporary philosophers of science.

Yet Rovelli is confident in his claim. As he puts it in the book: “Physics is often credited with a power it does not have: that of exhausting what can be known about the world. This is nonsense. Knowing the physical laws of the world does not amount to knowing the world.”

A Short Book With Big Ambitions

On the Equality of All Things is a short book aimed at a broad audience. Rovelli has created a powerful argument for a new way to understand ourselves and our place in the universe.

The review calls it a bracing book with a bracing perspective. It is a reminder that even the most celebrated scientists can still surprise us.

The review makes a strong case for reading the book as a fresh and important contribution to the debate over what physics actually tells us about reality.

Carlo Rovelli · Philosophy · quantum mechanics · relativity · science books