Butterfield, Jeremy
(2025)
The Multiverse: a Philosophical Introduction.
BSPS Open
.
University of Calgary Press/BSPS Open, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
(In Press)
Abstract
This book is a philosopher’s introduction to the idea that our universe is just one of many universes. I present and assess three versions of the idea: one version from philosophy, and two from physics. In short, they are: all the logically possible worlds; all the branches of the quantum state, in an Everettian interpretation of quantum theory; and all the bubbles of inflationary cosmology. For each proposal, I choose one main philosophical question to discuss in depth. They are, respectively: what is a possible world; what is chance; and what is explanation. But before treating these proposals and associated, I set the stage by reviewing physics and philosophy from about 1600 to about 1900; and a final Chapter compares and contrasts the proposals.
| Item Type: |
Open Access Book
|
| Creators: |
|
| Additional Information: |
This is the accepted version of a book that will be published by University of Calgary Press/BSPS Open, in an Open Access digital format with a CC-BY-NCND 4.0 Creative Commons license: so that it is, and will be, available freely to readers everywhere. |
| Keywords: |
multiverse, possible worlds, modality, measurement problem, Everettian quantum theory, decoherence, cosmology, inflation, landscape, fine-tuning, anthropic principle, reduction. |
| Subjects: |
General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics
General Issues > Confirmation/Induction
Specific Sciences > Physics > Cosmology
General Issues > Determinism/Indeterminism
General Issues > Explanation
General Issues > Laws of Nature
Specific Sciences > Physics
Specific Sciences > Probability/Statistics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
General Issues > Theory/Observation |
| Depositing User: |
Jeremy Butterfield
|
| Date Deposited: |
29 May 2025 13:09 |
| Last Modified: |
29 May 2025 13:09 |
| Item ID: |
25498 |
| Publisher: |
University of Calgary Press/BSPS Open |
| Subjects: |
General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics
General Issues > Confirmation/Induction
Specific Sciences > Physics > Cosmology
General Issues > Determinism/Indeterminism
General Issues > Explanation
General Issues > Laws of Nature
Specific Sciences > Physics
Specific Sciences > Probability/Statistics
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Field Theory
Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
General Issues > Theory/Observation |
| Date: |
May 2025 |
| URI: |
https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/25498 |
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