Particles vs. Structures: Weak Ontic Structuralism

Kantorovich, Aharon (2006) Particles vs. Structures: Weak Ontic Structuralism.

Abstract

In modern physics the notion of structure can be treated as an extension of the notion of law of nature. French and Ladyman’s view concerning the ontological priority of structures over objects is confronted with Psillos’ criticism. This kind of view agrees with the paradigmatic case where the structure is an internal symmetry and the instantiations are elementary particles. An ontological model is proposed which demonstrates the relation between structures and their instantiations in this case. This view which may be categorized as “weak ontic structuralism” is compared with Busch’s treatment of ontic structuralism in the philosophy of mathematics.