Jha, Aditya and Rodríguez-Warnier, Pascal (2026) Thermodynamics is not subjective, but relational. In: UNSPECIFIED.
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Abstract
A persistent concern in the foundations of thermodynamics is that its reliance on epistemic elements—agents, probabilities, and descriptive choices—renders it subjective. There are arguments to the effect that objective quantum mechanical probabilities can address this. We argue that such claims misdiagnose the sources of subjectivity in thermodynamics, which actually stem from its relational character. We illustrate this via the passivity framework—a rigorous foundation for the Gibbs state—bypassing probabilistic worries. We further show that the objectivity-subjectivity binary is too coarse to capture the conceptual landscape, for thermodynamic concepts are better understood through a richer taxonomy including the epistemic, relational, and means-relative.
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| Item Type: | Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED) | |||||||||
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| Additional Information: | Preprint, to appear in the Proceedings of the 2026 Philosophy of Science Association Conference, San Diego, California | |||||||||
| Keywords: | Thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, quantum thermodynamics, probabilities, relational thermodynamics, relational physics | |||||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > History of Philosophy of Science Specific Sciences > Physics > Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics |
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| Depositing User: | Dr Aditya Jha | |||||||||
| Date Deposited: | 10 Jun 2026 12:29 | |||||||||
| Last Modified: | 10 Jun 2026 12:29 | |||||||||
| Item ID: | 30031 | |||||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > History of Philosophy of Science Specific Sciences > Physics > Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics |
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| Date: | 28 May 2026 | |||||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/30031 |
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Thermodynamics is not subjective, but relational. (deposited 29 May 2026 12:35)
- Thermodynamics is not subjective, but relational. (deposited 10 Jun 2026 12:29) [Currently Displayed]
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