creators_name: Spurrett, David Jon
type: pittpreprint
datestamp: 2001-02-07
lastmod: 2010-10-07 15:10:03
metadata_visibility: show
title: Cartwright on Laws and Composition
subjects: laws-of-nature
full_text_status: public
keywords: Fundamental laws, composition of forces, fundamentalism
abstract: Cartwright attempts to argue from an analysis of the composition of forces, and more generally the composition of laws, to the conclusion that laws must be regarded as false. A response to Cartwright is developed which contends that properly understood composition poses no threat to the truth of laws, even though agreeing with Cartwright that laws do not satisfy the �facticity� requirement. My analysis draws especially on the work of Creary, Bhaskar, Mill, and points towards a general rejection of Cartwright�s view that laws, especially fundamental laws, should be seen as false.
date: 2000
date_type: published
citation: Spurrett, David Jon (2000) Cartwright on Laws and Composition. [Preprint]
document_url: http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/128/1/Cartwright.html