Theories of Everything: a Critical Analysis of the Concept as Used by Physicists

Abstract

In this thesis I analyse what a ‘Theory of Everything’ (ToE) entails according to physicists. A ToE should provide a unified theory of all forces of nature, as motivated by parsimony. Ideas about necessity are also present, as many hope a ToE will predict the constants of nature. Topics such as determinism, cosmology and dark matter are omitted from discussions without further motivation. Interestingly, the above characteristics of ToE’s are strongly influenced by its roots in string theory. Finally, ToE’s are often seen as the ultimate unification. Such a definition is too simple, as ideas about necessity and reductionism are also strongly present. In the end, we see that practical, metaphysical and scientific reasoning has influenced the concept.