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Arguing Against Fundamentality

McKenzie, Kerry (2011) Arguing Against Fundamentality. [Preprint]

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Abstract

This paper aims to open up discussion on the relationship between fundamentality and naturalism, and in particular on the question of whether fundamentality may be denied on naturalistic grounds. A historico-inductive argument for an anti-fundamentalist conclusion, prominent within contemporary metaphysical literature, is examined; finding it wanting, an alternative ‘internal’ strategy is proposed. By means of an example from the history of modern physics - namely S-matrix theory - it is demonstrated that (1) this strategy can generate similar (though not identical) anti-fundamentalist conclusions on more defensible naturalistic grounds, and (2) that fundamentality questions can be empirical questions. Some implications and limitations of the proposed approach are discussed.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
McKenzie, Kerryph07km@leeds.ac.uk
Keywords: fundamentality, particle physics, metaphysics of science
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Fields and Particles
General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism
General Issues > Reductionism/Holism
Depositing User: Miss Kerry McKenzie
Date Deposited: 02 Dec 2011 14:43
Last Modified: 02 Dec 2011 14:43
Item ID: 8861
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Fields and Particles
General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism
General Issues > Reductionism/Holism
Date: September 2011
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/8861

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