Baron, Samuel and Le Bihan, Baptiste and Read, James (2024) Physical Theory and Physical Possibility. [Preprint]

Preview

Text hazen_philsci.pdf Download (152kB) | Preview

Abstract

It is plausible that the models of our scientific theories correspond to possibilities. But exactly which models of which scientific theories stand in this correspondence? The answers to this question hinted at so far in the literature are too restrictive: they don't support the idea that the models of many of our best scientific theories correspond to physical possibilities. The paper thus provides a novel proposal for guiding belief about physical possibilities based on physics. The proposal draws on the notion of an effective theory: a theory that applies very well to a particular, restricted domain. We argue that it is the models of effective theories that we should believe correspond, at least in part, to physical possibilities. It is thus effective theories that should guide modal reasoning in science.

---

Export/Citation:

EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL

Social Networking:

Share |

---

Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Baron, Samuel samuel.baron@uwa.edu.au 0000-0003-4000-3276 Le Bihan, Baptiste baptiste.lebihan@unige.ch Read, James james.read@philosophy.ox.ac.uk
Keywords:	Physical possibilities, modality, effective theories
Subjects:	General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics General Issues > Laws of Nature General Issues > Models and Idealization
Depositing User:	Dr. James Read
Date Deposited:	16 Apr 2024 23:48
Last Modified:	16 Apr 2024 23:48
Item ID:	23283
Subjects:	General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics General Issues > Laws of Nature General Issues > Models and Idealization
Date:	13 April 2024
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/23283

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item