Pashby, Thomas (2012) Dirac's Prediction of the Positron: A Case Study for the Current Realism Debate. pp. 440-475.
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
Much debate has ensued regarding the challenge to scientific realism provided by consideration of certain problematic episodes of theory change in the history of science. This paper contends that there is an interesting case which has been overlooked in this debate, namely the prediction of the positron by Dirac from his ‘hole’ theory, and its subsequent replacement by a theory which failed to contain a central, and essential, theoretical posit: the ‘Dirac sea’ of negative energy electrons. Accounting for this case with the ‘divide and conquer’ strategy of contemporary scientific realism proves particularly troublesome, even for the structural realist. [NB: pdf is freely available from MIT Press using link]
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| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | ||||||
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| Keywords: | scientific realism, Dirac, positron, Dirac sea, negative energy, structural realism | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > History of Science Case Studies Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism General Issues > Theory Change |
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| Depositing User: | Dr. Thomas Pashby | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 07 Jul 2016 15:20 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 07 Jul 2016 15:20 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 12267 | ||||||
| Publisher: | MIT Press | ||||||
| Official URL: | http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/PO... | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > History of Science Case Studies Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism General Issues > Theory Change |
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| Date: | 2012 | ||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 440-475 | ||||||
| Volume: | 20 | ||||||
| Number: | 4 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/12267 |
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