“I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.” – Max Planck – Nobel laureate
This striking statement, made by Max Planck in a 1931 interview with The Observer, encapsulates a radical departure from the materialist worldview dominant in physics at the time. Planck, the father of quantum theory, challenges the notion that matter is the foundation of existence, proposing instead that consciousness underpins all reality. Spoken amid the revolutionary upheavals of early quantum mechanics, the quote reflects his lifelong reconciliation of empirical science with metaphysical inquiry.1,2,3
Max Planck: Life, Legacy, and Philosophical Evolution
Born in 1858 in Kiel, Germany, Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck rose from a family of scholars to become one of the 20th century’s most influential physicists. He studied at the universities of Munich and Berlin, earning his doctorate in 1879. Initially drawn to thermodynamics, Planck’s pivotal moment came in 1900 when he introduced the concept of energy quanta to resolve the ‘ultraviolet catastrophe’ in black-body radiation-a breakthrough that birthed quantum theory. For this, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918.3
Planck’s career spanned turbulent times: he served as president of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society (later the Max Planck Society) and navigated the intellectual and political storms of two world wars. A devout Lutheran, he grappled with the implications of his discoveries, often emphasising the limits of scientific materialism. In works like Where Is Science Going? (1932), he argued that science presupposes an external world known only through consciousness, echoing themes in his famous quote.3,5
By 1931, at age 72, Planck was reflecting on quantum mechanics’ philosophical ramifications. The interview in The Observer captured his mature view: matter derives from consciousness, not vice versa. This idealist stance contrasted with contemporaries like Einstein, who favoured a deterministic universe, yet aligned with Planck’s belief in a ‘conscious and intelligent Mind’ as the force binding atomic particles.3,5
The Context of the Quote: Quantum Revolution and Metaphysical Stirrings
The quote emerged during a period of crisis in physics. Quantum mechanics, propelled by Planck’s quanta, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, and Schrödinger’s wave equation, shattered classical determinism. Reality at the subatomic level appeared probabilistic, observer-dependent-raising profound questions about observation’s role. Planck, who reluctantly accepted these implications, saw consciousness not as a quantum byproduct but as fundamental.4,5
In the interview, Planck addressed the ‘reality crisis’: if physical laws are mental constructs, what grounds existence? His response prioritised consciousness as the irreducible starting point, influencing later debates in quantum interpretation, such as the Copenhagen interpretation where measurement (tied to observation) collapses the wave function.3
Leading Theorists on Consciousness and Matter
Planck’s views resonate with a lineage of thinkers bridging physics, philosophy, and metaphysics. Here are key figures whose ideas shaped or paralleled his:
- Immanuel Kant (1724-1804): The German philosopher posited that space, time, and causality are a priori structures of the mind, not properties of things-in-themselves. Planck echoed this by insisting we cannot ‘get behind consciousness’ to access unmediated reality.3
- Ernst Mach (1838-1916): Planck’s early influence, Mach advocated ‘economical descriptions’ of phenomena, rejecting absolute space and atoms as metaphysical. His positivism nudged Planck towards quantum ideas but clashed with Planck’s later spiritual realism.5
- Arthur Eddington (1882-1944): The British astrophysicist, like Planck, argued in The Nature of the Physical World (1928) that the mind constructs physical laws. He quipped, ‘We have found a strange footprint on the shores of the unknown,’ mirroring Planck’s consciousness primacy.5
- Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976): Planck’s successor, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle highlighted the observer’s role. Though more agnostic, he noted in Physics and Philosophy (1958) that quantum theory demands a ‘sharper formulation of the concept of reality,’ aligning with Planck’s critique.3
- David Bohm (1917-1992): Later, Bohm developed implicate order theory, positing a holistic reality where consciousness and matter interpenetrate-directly inspired by Planck’s ‘matrix of all matter’ as a conscious mind.5
These theorists, from Kantian idealism to quantum pioneers, form the intellectual backdrop. Planck stands out for wedding rigorous physics with unapologetic metaphysics, suggesting science’s foundations rest on conscious postulate.1,3,5
Enduring Relevance
Planck’s declaration prefigures modern discussions in philosophy of mind, panpsychism, and quantum consciousness theories (e.g., by Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff). It invites reflection: if consciousness is fundamental, how does this reshape our understanding of the universe, free will, and even artificial intelligence? As Planck implied, all inquiry begins-and ends-with the mind.4,5
References
1. https://libquotes.com/max-planck/quote/lbm8d8r
2. https://www.quotescosmos.com/quotes/Max-Planck-quote-1.html
3. https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Max_Planck
4. https://bigthink.com/words-of-wisdom/max-planck-i-regard-consciousness-as-fundamental/
5. https://www.informationphilosopher.com/solutions/scientists/planck/
6. https://todayinsci.com/P/Planck_Max/PlanckMax-Quotations.htm
