Fortin, Sebastian and Pasqualini, Matias (2025) Ontological perspectives in crystal solids. [Preprint]
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Abstract
This paper addresses the issue of the different levels of description of matter and the relationships between them. Specifically, it focuses on the area of crystalline solids, a topic that has been scarcely analyzed in the philosophy of chemistry. Unlike other cases where the relevant levels are clearly defined, the scientific practice related to crystals introduces new entities, such as phonons, which complicate the ontological landscape. In order to organize the discussion, the conceptual implications of describing crystals through three distinct levels are explored: the atomistic, the phononic, and the crystal as a whole. Existing proposals for understanding the phenomenon are analyzed, and based on the introduction of the Tensor Product Structure approach, it is argued that the ontological perspectives of crystals depend on external criteria beyond the formalism that describes them. In the absence of external criteria, a pluralistic ontology is obtained, granting equal status to all entities. On the other hand, privileging the total system or the fundamental components leads to holistic or atomistic ontologies, respectively.
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| Item Type: | Preprint | |||||||||
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| Keywords: | Crystal Solids; Ontological Dependence; Phonons; Emergence; Tensor Product Structures. | |||||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Chemistry Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics General Issues > Reductionism/Holism |
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| Depositing User: | Dr. Sebastian Fortin | |||||||||
| Date Deposited: | 12 Jun 2025 12:41 | |||||||||
| Last Modified: | 12 Jun 2025 12:41 | |||||||||
| Item ID: | 25671 | |||||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Chemistry Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics General Issues > Reductionism/Holism |
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| Date: | 2025 | |||||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/25671 |
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