Probabilities, Causes and Propensities in Physics
Editors: Suárez, Mauricio (Ed.)
Free Preview- The first book to systematically explore the relations between three different topics of interest in the field
- Serves as an excellent consultation manual for any graduate course in the philosophy and foundations of physics
- Includes an extensive and informative introduction
- Contains cutting-edge contributions to the field
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- About this book
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This volume defends a novel approach to the philosophy of physics: it is the first book devoted to a comparative study of probability, causality, and propensity, and their various interrelations, within the context of contemporary physics -- particularly quantum and statistical physics. The philosophical debates and distinctions are firmly grounded upon examples from actual physics, thus exemplifying a robustly empiricist approach. The essays, by both prominent scholars in the field and promising young researchers, constitute a pioneer effort in bringing out the connections between probabilistic, causal and dispositional aspects of the quantum domain. The book will appeal to specialists in philosophy and foundations of physics, philosophy of science in general, metaphysics, ontology of physics theories, and philosophy of probability.
- About the authors
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Mauricio Suárez is a philosopher of science specialising in philosophy of physics. He has published widely in the philosophy of quantum mechanics, modelling and representation, and scientific epistemology in journals such as Erkenntnis, Studies in History and Philosohy of Modern Physics, Foundations of Physics, Philosophy of Science, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, History of the Human Sciences. He is the editor of Fictions in Science: Philosophical Essays on Modelling and Idealisation (London: Routledge, 2009) and co-editor of the Proceedings of the founding conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association (EPSA), which he organised in Madrid in 2007.
- Reviews
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From the reviews:
“This book discuss in a detailed and technical, but accessible and clarifying way, the notions that connect physics with philosophical analyses of causation, probability and propensities. … The chapters are well written and define the relevant concepts in a clear way, which allows one to follow the discussions with ease. … discuss the most recent accounts of causality, propensity and probability and add new and important insights to the discussion. … recommended to philosophers of physics and physicists interested in the foundations of their discipline.” (Esteban Céspedes, Physics and Philosophy, November, 2011)
- Table of contents (11 chapters)
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Four Theses on Probabilities, Causes, Propensities
Pages 1-37
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Probability and Time Symmetry in Classical Markov Processes
Pages 41-59
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Probability Assignments and the Principle of Indifference. An Examination of Two Eliminative Strategies
Pages 61-76
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Why Typicality Does Not Explain the Approach to Equilibrium
Pages 77-93
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From Metaphysics to Physics and Back: the Example of Causation
Pages 97-113
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Table of contents (11 chapters)
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Bibliographic Information
- Bibliographic Information
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- Book Title
- Probabilities, Causes and Propensities in Physics
- Editors
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- Mauricio Suárez
- Series Title
- Synthese Library
- Series Volume
- 347
- Copyright
- 2011
- Publisher
- Springer Netherlands
- Copyright Holder
- Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
- eBook ISBN
- 978-1-4020-9904-5
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-1-4020-9904-5
- Hardcover ISBN
- 978-1-4020-9903-8
- Softcover ISBN
- 978-94-007-3461-6
- Edition Number
- 1
- Number of Pages
- X, 266
- Topics
