{"id":9454,"date":"2025-08-11T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454"},"modified":"2025-05-04T19:41:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T19:41:14","slug":"looking-at-slavoj-zizeks-book-2024-christian-atheism-part-18-of-33","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454","title":{"rendered":"Looking at Slavoj Zizek’s Book (2024) “Christian Atheism” (Part 18 of 33)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

0195 Doesn’t that last point<\/em> sound dramatic?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, the measurement of photons in the field of quantum physics<\/em> is no different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a photon is registered by a measuring apparatus, it2a<\/sub> is toast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, the natural habitus of a photon<\/em> is to fly as a superposition of states and waves2a<\/sub><\/em>.  A particular scientific apparatus<\/em> will collapse the superposition in the process of making the measurement<\/em>.  In other words, the photon<\/em> is annihilated (or its habitus<\/em> is forever changed).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0196 Here is a picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

0197 On the content level,<\/em> the normal context of what it is3a<\/sub><\/em> brings the actuality of a superposition of states or waves2a<\/sub><\/em>into relation with the potential of the thing itself1a<\/sub><\/em>.  The fact that I characterize the photon2a<\/sub> as a superposition of waves2a<\/sub><\/em> means that I, the investigator, have already replaced the noumenon2a<\/sub> with an imaginary of what the noumenon must be2a<\/sub><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the situation level,<\/em> my imaginary2a<\/sub> as phenomena1b<\/sub> serves as matter to yield a form, a quantum measurement2b<\/sub>made by my measuring apparatus3b<\/sub>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0198 But, the realist in the back of the room<\/em> shifts uneasily, saying, “Don’t you have it backwards?  Shouldn’t the content-level actuality2a<\/sub> be labeled ‘real’ and the appearance that is conveyed by the measurement be labeled ‘imaginary’2b<\/sub>?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0199 Yes and no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, surely, the noumenon is more real to the natural philosopher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No, phenomena are more real to the quantum physicist, because observations and measurements of phenomena belong to the empirio-schematic judgment (what ought to be,<\/em> secondness, in the Positivist’s judgment) and Peirce’s category of secondness<\/em> characterizes the realm of actuality<\/em>.  In contrast, the noumenon (part of what is,<\/em> firstness, in the Positivist’s judgment) associates to the realm of possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondness (the realm of actuality) is more “real” than firstness (the realm of possibility).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0200 Contrary to Zizek’s discussion, the fact that the natural philosopher<\/em> chooses the noumenon2a<\/sub><\/em> and the quantum physicist<\/em> chooses its phenomena1b<\/sub><\/em> to receive the label, “reality”,<\/em> does not mean that we have to choose between space and time.  Rather, it means that we have to choose between the noumenon<\/em> and its phenomena<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, which would I choose as the noumenon,<\/em> space or time, or both, or neither?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly, the quantum mechanical equations that model the standing waves of electrons around nuclei in atoms and molecules<\/em> rely on both space and time as variables.  Those variables go into equations that model data based on phenomena, not the thing itself<\/em>.  So, one might wonder about the status of space and time<\/em>.  Are they transcendentals or ontologicals?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

0201 Certainly, space and time are not divine.  But, they are not “not divine”, either.  They are used in models that may veil the noumenon, so that a model (veiling its noumenon) [can be objectified as] its phenomena<\/em>.  Surely, that veiling makes what is<\/em> of the Positivist’s judgment more palatable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other option is called “Copenhagen orthodoxy”.  Niels Bohr (1885-1962), one of the physicists involved in the founding of quantum mechanics, read the writings of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804).  So, he had a feeling that, as far as science goes, the noumenon is off limits.  So, his solution looks like the following.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

0202 Zizek agrees with later commentators, who say that this is the worst option imaginable<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, Zizek has a caveat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could be worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0203 What about better?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, this examination<\/em> already has made an advance, by labeling the content-level<\/em> as the home to the imaginary noumenon.<\/em>  Here, the term “imaginary” does not suggest make-believe.  Rather, the term means that the noumenon<\/em> is to be approached as an image<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All sensations<\/em> are like image<\/em>s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, for the most part, a sensation<\/em> means that ‘something is present’.  This is precisely how the natural philosopher encounters things<\/em>.  Things are dyadic actualities<\/em> of matter [substance] form<\/em>.  Is that not like an image?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If matter is not present, then form is does not register with the sensorium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0204 So, it makes no sense to place a sign over the imaginary and noumenon level<\/em> that says, “This is not scientific, so please disregard.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

0195 Doesn’t that last point sound dramatic? Well, the measurement of photons in the field of quantum physics is no different. Once a photon is registered by a measuring apparatus, it2a is toast. For example, the natural habitus of a photon is to fly as a superposition of states and waves2a.  A particular scientific apparatus will collapse the superposition in the process of making the measurement.  In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[417],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-review"],"yoast_head":"\nLooking at Slavoj Zizek's Book (2024) "Christian Atheism" (Part 18 of 33) - An Archaeology of the Fall<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Looking at Slavoj Zizek's Book (2024) "Christian Atheism" (Part 18 of 33) - An Archaeology of the Fall\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"0195 Doesn’t that last point sound dramatic? Well, the measurement of photons in the field of quantum physics is no different. Once a photon is registered by a measuring apparatus, it2a is toast. For example, the natural habitus of a photon is to fly as a superposition of states and waves2a.  A particular scientific apparatus will collapse the superposition in the process of making the measurement.  In […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"An Archaeology of the Fall\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-11T08:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Slide062.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=9454#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=9454\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ad695f570ebd1b2a6f85c4ac5badcd04\"},\"headline\":\"Looking at Slavoj Zizek’s Book (2024) “Christian Atheism” (Part 18 of 33)\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-11T08:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=9454\"},\"wordCount\":803,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=9454#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/Slide062.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Book Review\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=9454\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=9454\",\"name\":\"Looking at Slavoj Zizek's Book (2024) \\\"Christian Atheism\\\" (Part 18 of 33) - An Archaeology of the Fall\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=9454#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=9454#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/Slide062.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-11T08:00:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ad695f570ebd1b2a6f85c4ac5badcd04\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=9454#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=9454\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=9454#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/Slide062.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/Slide062.png\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?p=9454#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Looking at Slavoj Zizek’s Book (2024) “Christian Atheism” (Part 18 of 33)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"An Archaeology of the Fall\",\"description\":\"A Horror Story by Razie Mah\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ad695f570ebd1b2a6f85c4ac5badcd04\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/13f66383028a15bc9f1f6f30c43ce372a5a073cb8ec7f9069fa5158a183efe4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/13f66383028a15bc9f1f6f30c43ce372a5a073cb8ec7f9069fa5158a183efe4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/13f66383028a15bc9f1f6f30c43ce372a5a073cb8ec7f9069fa5158a183efe4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.raziemah.com\\\/blog\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Looking at Slavoj Zizek's Book (2024) \"Christian Atheism\" (Part 18 of 33) - An Archaeology of the Fall","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Looking at Slavoj Zizek's Book (2024) \"Christian Atheism\" (Part 18 of 33) - An Archaeology of the Fall","og_description":"0195 Doesn’t that last point sound dramatic? Well, the measurement of photons in the field of quantum physics is no different. Once a photon is registered by a measuring apparatus, it2a is toast. For example, the natural habitus of a photon is to fly as a superposition of states and waves2a.  A particular scientific apparatus will collapse the superposition in the process of making the measurement.  In […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454","og_site_name":"An Archaeology of the Fall","article_published_time":"2025-08-11T08:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":600,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Slide062.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ad695f570ebd1b2a6f85c4ac5badcd04"},"headline":"Looking at Slavoj Zizek’s Book (2024) “Christian Atheism” (Part 18 of 33)","datePublished":"2025-08-11T08:00:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454"},"wordCount":803,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Slide062.png","articleSection":["Book Review"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454","url":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454","name":"Looking at Slavoj Zizek's Book (2024) \"Christian Atheism\" (Part 18 of 33) - An Archaeology of the Fall","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Slide062.png","datePublished":"2025-08-11T08:00:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ad695f570ebd1b2a6f85c4ac5badcd04"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Slide062.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Slide062.png"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9454#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Looking at Slavoj Zizek’s Book (2024) “Christian Atheism” (Part 18 of 33)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/","name":"An Archaeology of the Fall","description":"A Horror Story by Razie Mah","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ad695f570ebd1b2a6f85c4ac5badcd04","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/13f66383028a15bc9f1f6f30c43ce372a5a073cb8ec7f9069fa5158a183efe4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/13f66383028a15bc9f1f6f30c43ce372a5a073cb8ec7f9069fa5158a183efe4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/13f66383028a15bc9f1f6f30c43ce372a5a073cb8ec7f9069fa5158a183efe4d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"url":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9454"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9454\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9457,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9454\/revisions\/9457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}