Frisch, Mathias (2010) From Arbuthnot to Boltzmann: The Past-hypothesis, Special Sciences and the Best System. In: UNSPECIFIED.

Preview

PDF EPSA_symposium_frisch.pdf Download (94kB)

Abstract

In recent work on the foundations of statistical mechanics and the arrow of time, Barry Loewer and David Albert have developed a view that defends both a Best System account of laws and a physicalist fundamentalism. In this paper I argue that there exists a tension between their account of laws, which emphasizes the pragmatic element in assessing the relative strength of different deductive systems, and their reductivism or fundamentalism. If we take the pragmatic dimension in their account seriously, then the laws of the special sciences should be part of the best system as well.

---

Export/Citation:

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

Social Networking:

Share |

---

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Frisch, Mathias
Keywords:	Lewis, laws, statistical physics, reductionism
Subjects:	General Issues > Laws of Nature General Issues > Reductionism/Holism Specific Sciences > Physics > Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics
Depositing User:	Mathias Frisch
Date Deposited:	24 Mar 2010
Last Modified:	07 Oct 2010 15:19
Item ID:	5204
Subjects:	General Issues > Laws of Nature General Issues > Reductionism/Holism Specific Sciences > Physics > Statistical Mechanics/Thermodynamics
Date:	2010
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/5204

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item