Saunders, Simon (2007) Mirroring as an a priori symmetry. [Preprint]

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Abstract

A relationist will account for the use of `left' and `right' in terms of relative orientations, and other properties and relations invariant under mirroring. This analysis will apply whenever mirroring is a symmetry, so it certainly applies to classical mechanics; we argue it applies to any physical theory formulated on a manifold: it is in this sense an a priori symmetry. It should apply in particular to parity-violating theories in quantum mechanics; mirror symmetry is only broken in such theories as a special symmetry.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Saunders, Simon
Additional Information:	Published in Philosophy of Science, 74, 452-480 (2007)
Keywords:	symmetry, parity, mirroring, handedness
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Depositing User:	simon saunders
Date Deposited:	10 Jan 2008
Last Modified:	07 Oct 2010 15:16
Item ID:	3809
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances
Date:	December 2007
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/3809

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