Pashby, Thomas (2016) How Do Things Persist? Location Relations in Physics and the Metaphysics of Persistence. Dialectica, 70 (3). pp. 269-309.
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Abstract
This paper investigates the use of theories of mechanics (classical and quantum) to provide answers to questions in the metaphysics of spatial location and persistence. Investigating spatial location, I find that in classical physics bodies pertend the region of space at which they are exactly located, while a quantum system spans a region at which it is exactly located. Following this analysis, I present a ‘no-go’ result which shows that quantum mechanics (conventionally interpreted) restricts the available options for locational persistence theories in an interesting way: it demonstrates that the spatiotemporal path of a persisting thing is discrete (or discontinuous) in time. This leads to unpalatable consequences for both perdurantists and endurantists. In particular, I argue that Butterfield’s ‘anti-pointilliste’ perdurantism is ruled out, and show that endurantists relying on immanent causation run into trouble. I conclude by suggesting the revival of Whitehead’s alternative mode of persistence called ‘reiteration.’
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| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | ||||||
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| Keywords: | persistence, endurance, perdurance, quantum, localization, time | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics Specific Sciences > Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics |
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| Depositing User: | Dr. Thomas Pashby | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 04 Oct 2016 14:35 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 04 Oct 2016 14:35 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 12463 | ||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Dialectica | ||||||
| Publisher: | Blackwell-Wiley | ||||||
| Official URL: | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1746-83... | ||||||
| DOI or Unique Handle: | 10.1111/1746-8361.12150 | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics Specific Sciences > Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics |
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| Date: | September 2016 | ||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 269-309 | ||||||
| Volume: | 70 | ||||||
| Number: | 3 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/12463 |
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