Rovelli’s Kierkegaard: Slavoj Žižek on Quantum Physics, Subjectivity, and Choice
In this post, Slavoj Žižek reflects on a review of Carlo Rovelli’s upcoming book and its comparison between quantum mechanics and Søren Kierkegaard. The piece questions how philosophers and physicists borrow each other’s language, then focuses on Rovelli’s use of Kierkegaard to argue that truth is tied to perspective, choice, and subjectivity. Žižek highlights the claim that reality is not fully given in advance, but emerges through relational influences, observer-centered perspectives, and decisions made without complete knowledge. The post closes by linking Kierkegaard’s famous idea that life is understood backward but lived forward to the uncertainty of both existence and quantum science.
Žižek on philosophy borrowing from physics
The post opens by noting a common criticism: philosophers sometimes use quantum terms loosely, while physicists may also invoke philosophy to support scientific claims. Žižek frames Rovelli’s book as a striking example of this crossover.
Kierkegaard, Hegel, and subjective truth
Drawing on Nathan Gardels’s review of Rovelli, Žižek summarizes the contrast between Hegel’s objective system and Kierkegaard’s insistence that individual choice is central. The quoted passage emphasizes Kierkegaard’s view that truth is tied to subjectivity and personal perspective.
Quantum physics and perspectival reality
The post then connects this to Rovelli’s interpretation of quantum physics, where truth is described as observer-dependent and relational rather than purely objective. Žižek notes the claim that objectivity without a subject is an abstraction and that reality is shaped through multiple perspectives.
Choice, uncertainty, and the future
Žižek highlights the idea that human beings act as co-creators of reality, making choices without full knowledge of what will emerge. The post ends with Kierkegaard’s line that life is understood backward but lived forward, which Žižek presents as relevant to existential uncertainty and quantum thinking.
Key takeaways
- Žižek uses Rovelli’s book to explore the overlap between quantum physics and Kierkegaardian philosophy.
- The post emphasizes subjectivity, perspective, and individual choice as central themes.
- It argues that reality is not fully predetermined but emerges through relational processes and decisions.
- Kierkegaard’s idea that life is understood backward but lived forward is used as a closing frame.
- The piece is a reaction to a review of Rovelli’s upcoming 2026 book, not a full review of the book itself.
Source: Slavoj Žižek, “ROVELLI’S KIERKEGAARD,” published May 2, 2026 on Substack: https://slavoj.substack.com/p/rovellis-kierkegaard Read the original post on Substack.