Wheeler, Billy (2016) Simplicity, Language-Dependency and the Best System Account of Laws. THEORIA. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science, 31 (2). pp. 189-206. ISSN 2171-679X
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Abstract
It is often said that the best system account of laws (BSA) needs supplementing with a theory of perfectly natural properties. The ‘strength’ and ‘simplicity’ of a system is language-relative and without a fixed vocabulary it is impossible to compare rival systems. Recently a number of philosophers have attempted to reformulate the BSA in an effort to avoid commitment to natural properties. I assess these proposals and argue that they are problematic as they stand. Nonetheless, I agree with their aim, and show that if simplicity is interpreted as ‘compression’, algorithmic information theory provides a framework for system comparison without the need for natural properties.
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| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | ||||||
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| Additional Information: | ISSN: 0495-4548 (print) | ||||||
| Keywords: | laws of nature; best system account; natural properties; algorithmic information theory; invariance theorem | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Explanation General Issues > Laws of Nature |
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| Depositing User: | Unnamed user with email theoria@ehu.es | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 08 Jun 2016 19:49 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 08 Jun 2016 19:49 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 12181 | ||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | THEORIA. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science | ||||||
| Publisher: | Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea / Universidad del País Vasco | ||||||
| Official URL: | http://www.ehu.eus/ojs/index.php/THEORIA/article/v... | ||||||
| DOI or Unique Handle: | 10.1387/theoria.14558 | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Explanation General Issues > Laws of Nature |
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| Date: | May 2016 | ||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 189-206 | ||||||
| Volume: | 31 | ||||||
| Number: | 2 | ||||||
| ISSN: | 2171-679X | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/12181 |
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