On the Metaphysics of Experimental Physics

On the Metaphysics of Experimental Physics

Author: K. Rogers

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2005-04-15

Total Pages: 252

ISBN-13: 0230505104

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This provocative and critical work addresses the question of why scientific realists and positivists consider experimental physics to be a natural and empirical science. Taking insights from contemporary science studies, continental philosophy, and the history of physics, this book describes and analyses the metaphysical presuppositions that underwrite the technological use of experimental apparatus and instruments to explore, model, and understand nature. By revealing this metaphysical foundation, the author questions whether experimental physics is a natural and empirical science at all.


Book Synopsis On the Metaphysics of Experimental Physics by : K. Rogers

Download or read book On the Metaphysics of Experimental Physics written by K. Rogers and published by Springer. This book was released on 2005-04-15 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This provocative and critical work addresses the question of why scientific realists and positivists consider experimental physics to be a natural and empirical science. Taking insights from contemporary science studies, continental philosophy, and the history of physics, this book describes and analyses the metaphysical presuppositions that underwrite the technological use of experimental apparatus and instruments to explore, model, and understand nature. By revealing this metaphysical foundation, the author questions whether experimental physics is a natural and empirical science at all.


Experimental Metaphysics

Experimental Metaphysics

Author: David Rose

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2017-06-29

Total Pages: 253

ISBN-13: 1474278612

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Metaphysics, almost entirely neglected by experimental philosophers, is the central focus of Experimental Metaphysics. The volume brings together a range of views aimed at addressing the question of how cognitive science might be relevant to metaphysics. With contributions from cognitive scientists and philosophers, chapters focus on theoretical and empirical issues involving the potential role of cognitive science in metaphysics. Alongside topics such as free will, objects and causation, in which relevant empirical evidence is discussed and connected to relevant metaphysical issues, more programmatic papers explore theoretical issues centered on the connection between cognitive science and metaphysics. This balanced approach exposes metaphysicians to philosophically relevant work in cognitive science, while showing cognitive scientists the ways in which their work might be important for philosophers. Presenting cutting-edge empirical and theoretical research, Experimental Metaphysics pushes forward the discussion and encourages further engagement with issues at the intersection of cognitive science and metaphysics.


Book Synopsis Experimental Metaphysics by : David Rose

Download or read book Experimental Metaphysics written by David Rose and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2017-06-29 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Metaphysics, almost entirely neglected by experimental philosophers, is the central focus of Experimental Metaphysics. The volume brings together a range of views aimed at addressing the question of how cognitive science might be relevant to metaphysics. With contributions from cognitive scientists and philosophers, chapters focus on theoretical and empirical issues involving the potential role of cognitive science in metaphysics. Alongside topics such as free will, objects and causation, in which relevant empirical evidence is discussed and connected to relevant metaphysical issues, more programmatic papers explore theoretical issues centered on the connection between cognitive science and metaphysics. This balanced approach exposes metaphysicians to philosophically relevant work in cognitive science, while showing cognitive scientists the ways in which their work might be important for philosophers. Presenting cutting-edge empirical and theoretical research, Experimental Metaphysics pushes forward the discussion and encourages further engagement with issues at the intersection of cognitive science and metaphysics.


Metaphysical Experiments

Metaphysical Experiments

Author: Bjørn Ekeberg

Publisher: U of Minnesota Press

Published: 2019-03-12

Total Pages: 182

ISBN-13: 145295951X

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An engaging critique of the science and metaphysics behind our understanding of the universe The James Webb Space Telescope, when launched in 2021, will be the premier orbital observatory, capable of studying every phase of the history of the universe, from the afterglow of the Big Bang to the formation of our solar system. Examining the theoretical basis for key experiments that have made this latest venture in astrophysics possible, Bjørn Ekeberg reveals that scientific cosmology actually operates in a twilight zone between the physical and metaphysical. Metaphysical Experiments explains how our current framework for understanding the universe, the Big Bang theory, is more determined by a deep faith in mathematical universality than empirical observation. Ekeberg draws on philosophical insights by Spinoza, Bergson, Heidegger, and Arendt; on the critical perspectives of Latour, Stengers, and Serres; and on cutting-edge physics research at the Large Hadron Collider, to show how the universe of modern physics was invented to reconcile a Christian metaphysical premise with a claim to the theoretical unification of nature. By focusing on the nonmathematical assumptions underlying some of the most significant events in modern science, Metaphysical Experiments offers a critical history of contemporary physics that demystifies such concepts as the universe, particles, singularity, gravity, blackbody radiation, the speed of light, wave/particle duality, natural constants, black holes, dark matter, and dark energy. Ekeberg’s incisive reading of the metaphysical underpinnings of scientific cosmology offers an innovative account of how we understand our place in the universe.


Book Synopsis Metaphysical Experiments by : Bjørn Ekeberg

Download or read book Metaphysical Experiments written by Bjørn Ekeberg and published by U of Minnesota Press. This book was released on 2019-03-12 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An engaging critique of the science and metaphysics behind our understanding of the universe The James Webb Space Telescope, when launched in 2021, will be the premier orbital observatory, capable of studying every phase of the history of the universe, from the afterglow of the Big Bang to the formation of our solar system. Examining the theoretical basis for key experiments that have made this latest venture in astrophysics possible, Bjørn Ekeberg reveals that scientific cosmology actually operates in a twilight zone between the physical and metaphysical. Metaphysical Experiments explains how our current framework for understanding the universe, the Big Bang theory, is more determined by a deep faith in mathematical universality than empirical observation. Ekeberg draws on philosophical insights by Spinoza, Bergson, Heidegger, and Arendt; on the critical perspectives of Latour, Stengers, and Serres; and on cutting-edge physics research at the Large Hadron Collider, to show how the universe of modern physics was invented to reconcile a Christian metaphysical premise with a claim to the theoretical unification of nature. By focusing on the nonmathematical assumptions underlying some of the most significant events in modern science, Metaphysical Experiments offers a critical history of contemporary physics that demystifies such concepts as the universe, particles, singularity, gravity, blackbody radiation, the speed of light, wave/particle duality, natural constants, black holes, dark matter, and dark energy. Ekeberg’s incisive reading of the metaphysical underpinnings of scientific cosmology offers an innovative account of how we understand our place in the universe.


Experimental Metaphysics

Experimental Metaphysics

Author: Robert S. Cohen

Publisher: Springer

Published: 1997-05-31

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13:

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Experimental Metaphysics is intended for theoretical physicists and philosophers of science and is devoted to fundamental issues in the quantum domain. The book presents a number of discussions of experiments, theoretical puzzles and alternative interpretations, and philosophical treatments of the metaphysical foundations of science and the way these throw a scientific light on metaphysics. Hence the title: `experimental metaphysics' is a term coined by Abner Shimony, to whom the book is dedicated. This collection of 16 scientific and philosophical essays by leading physicists, philosophers and historians of science deals with current research and the most basic issues in quantum physics.


Book Synopsis Experimental Metaphysics by : Robert S. Cohen

Download or read book Experimental Metaphysics written by Robert S. Cohen and published by Springer. This book was released on 1997-05-31 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Experimental Metaphysics is intended for theoretical physicists and philosophers of science and is devoted to fundamental issues in the quantum domain. The book presents a number of discussions of experiments, theoretical puzzles and alternative interpretations, and philosophical treatments of the metaphysical foundations of science and the way these throw a scientific light on metaphysics. Hence the title: `experimental metaphysics' is a term coined by Abner Shimony, to whom the book is dedicated. This collection of 16 scientific and philosophical essays by leading physicists, philosophers and historians of science deals with current research and the most basic issues in quantum physics.


Experimental Metaphysics

Experimental Metaphysics

Author: Robert S. Cohen

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2010-12-08

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9789048148080

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Experimental Metaphysics is intended for theoretical physicists and philosophers of science and is devoted to fundamental issues in the quantum domain. The book presents a number of discussions of experiments, theoretical puzzles and alternative interpretations, and philosophical treatments of the metaphysical foundations of science and the way these throw a scientific light on metaphysics. Hence the title: `experimental metaphysics' is a term coined by Abner Shimony, to whom the book is dedicated. This collection of 16 scientific and philosophical essays by leading physicists, philosophers and historians of science deals with current research and the most basic issues in quantum physics.


Book Synopsis Experimental Metaphysics by : Robert S. Cohen

Download or read book Experimental Metaphysics written by Robert S. Cohen and published by Springer. This book was released on 2010-12-08 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Experimental Metaphysics is intended for theoretical physicists and philosophers of science and is devoted to fundamental issues in the quantum domain. The book presents a number of discussions of experiments, theoretical puzzles and alternative interpretations, and philosophical treatments of the metaphysical foundations of science and the way these throw a scientific light on metaphysics. Hence the title: `experimental metaphysics' is a term coined by Abner Shimony, to whom the book is dedicated. This collection of 16 scientific and philosophical essays by leading physicists, philosophers and historians of science deals with current research and the most basic issues in quantum physics.


Quantum Ontology

Quantum Ontology

Author: Peter J. Lewis

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2016-06-13

Total Pages: 233

ISBN-13: 0190618795

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Metaphysicians should pay attention to quantum mechanics. Why? Not because it provides definitive answers to many metaphysical questions-the theory itself is remarkably silent on the nature of the physical world, and the various interpretations of the theory on offer present conflicting ontological pictures. Rather, quantum mechanics is essential to the metaphysician because it reshapes standard metaphysical debates and opens up unforeseen new metaphysical possibilities. Even if quantum mechanics provides few clear answers, there are good reasons to think that any adequate understanding of the quantum world will result in a radical reshaping of our classical world-view in some way or other. Whatever the world is like at the atomic scale, it is almost certainly not the swarm of particles pushed around by forces that is often presupposed. This book guides readers through the theory of quantum mechanics and its implications for metaphysics in a clear and accessible way. The theory and its various interpretations are presented with a minimum of technicality. The consequences of these interpretations for metaphysical debates concerning realism, indeterminacy, causation, determinism, holism, and individuality (among other topics) are explored in detail, stressing the novel form that the debates take given the empirical facts in the quantum domain. While quantum mechanics may not deliver unconditional pronouncements on these issues, the range of possibilities consistent with our knowledge of the empirical world is relatively small-and each possibility is metaphysically revisionary in some way. This book will appeal to researchers, students, and anybody else interested in how science informs our world-view.


Book Synopsis Quantum Ontology by : Peter J. Lewis

Download or read book Quantum Ontology written by Peter J. Lewis and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-06-13 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Metaphysicians should pay attention to quantum mechanics. Why? Not because it provides definitive answers to many metaphysical questions-the theory itself is remarkably silent on the nature of the physical world, and the various interpretations of the theory on offer present conflicting ontological pictures. Rather, quantum mechanics is essential to the metaphysician because it reshapes standard metaphysical debates and opens up unforeseen new metaphysical possibilities. Even if quantum mechanics provides few clear answers, there are good reasons to think that any adequate understanding of the quantum world will result in a radical reshaping of our classical world-view in some way or other. Whatever the world is like at the atomic scale, it is almost certainly not the swarm of particles pushed around by forces that is often presupposed. This book guides readers through the theory of quantum mechanics and its implications for metaphysics in a clear and accessible way. The theory and its various interpretations are presented with a minimum of technicality. The consequences of these interpretations for metaphysical debates concerning realism, indeterminacy, causation, determinism, holism, and individuality (among other topics) are explored in detail, stressing the novel form that the debates take given the empirical facts in the quantum domain. While quantum mechanics may not deliver unconditional pronouncements on these issues, the range of possibilities consistent with our knowledge of the empirical world is relatively small-and each possibility is metaphysically revisionary in some way. This book will appeal to researchers, students, and anybody else interested in how science informs our world-view.


Philosophy of Physics

Philosophy of Physics

Author: Tim Maudlin

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2019-03-19

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 069118352X

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A sophisticated and original introduction to the philosophy of quantum mechanics from one of the world’s leading philosophers of physics In this book, Tim Maudlin, one of the world’s leading philosophers of physics, offers a sophisticated, original introduction to the philosophy of quantum mechanics. The briefest, clearest, and most refined account of his influential approach to the subject, the book will be invaluable to all students of philosophy and physics. Quantum mechanics holds a unique place in the history of physics. It has produced the most accurate predictions of any scientific theory, but, more astonishing, there has never been any agreement about what the theory implies about physical reality. Maudlin argues that the very term “quantum theory” is a misnomer. A proper physical theory should clearly describe what is there and what it does—yet standard textbooks present quantum mechanics as a predictive recipe in search of a physical theory. In contrast, Maudlin explores three proper theories that recover the quantum predictions: the indeterministic wavefunction collapse theory of Ghirardi, Rimini, and Weber; the deterministic particle theory of deBroglie and Bohm; and the conceptually challenging Many Worlds theory of Everett. Each offers a radically different proposal for the nature of physical reality, but Maudlin shows that none of them are what they are generally taken to be.


Book Synopsis Philosophy of Physics by : Tim Maudlin

Download or read book Philosophy of Physics written by Tim Maudlin and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2019-03-19 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sophisticated and original introduction to the philosophy of quantum mechanics from one of the world’s leading philosophers of physics In this book, Tim Maudlin, one of the world’s leading philosophers of physics, offers a sophisticated, original introduction to the philosophy of quantum mechanics. The briefest, clearest, and most refined account of his influential approach to the subject, the book will be invaluable to all students of philosophy and physics. Quantum mechanics holds a unique place in the history of physics. It has produced the most accurate predictions of any scientific theory, but, more astonishing, there has never been any agreement about what the theory implies about physical reality. Maudlin argues that the very term “quantum theory” is a misnomer. A proper physical theory should clearly describe what is there and what it does—yet standard textbooks present quantum mechanics as a predictive recipe in search of a physical theory. In contrast, Maudlin explores three proper theories that recover the quantum predictions: the indeterministic wavefunction collapse theory of Ghirardi, Rimini, and Weber; the deterministic particle theory of deBroglie and Bohm; and the conceptually challenging Many Worlds theory of Everett. Each offers a radically different proposal for the nature of physical reality, but Maudlin shows that none of them are what they are generally taken to be.


Elements of Philosophy Comprising Logic and Ontology Or General Metaphysics

Elements of Philosophy Comprising Logic and Ontology Or General Metaphysics

Author: W. H. Hill

Publisher: Trieste Publishing

Published: 2017-07-28

Total Pages: 246

ISBN-13: 9780649132256

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Trieste Publishing has a massive catalogue of classic book titles. Our aim is to provide readers with the highest quality reproductions of fiction and non-fiction literature that has stood the test of time. The many thousands of books in our collection have been sourced from libraries and private collections around the world.The titles that Trieste Publishing has chosen to be part of the collection have been scanned to simulate the original. Our readers see the books the same way that their first readers did decades or a hundred or more years ago. Books from that period are often spoiled by imperfections that did not exist in the original. Imperfections could be in the form of blurred text, photographs, or missing pages. It is highly unlikely that this would occur with one of our books. Our extensive quality control ensures that the readers of Trieste Publishing's books will be delighted with their purchase. Our staff has thoroughly reviewed every page of all the books in the collection, repairing, or if necessary, rejecting titles that are not of the highest quality. This process ensures that the reader of one of Trieste Publishing's titles receives a volume that faithfully reproduces the original, and to the maximum degree possible, gives them the experience of owning the original work.We pride ourselves on not only creating a pathway to an extensive reservoir of books of the finest quality, but also providing value to every one of our readers. Generally, Trieste books are purchased singly - on demand, however they may also be purchased in bulk. Readers interested in bulk purchases are invited to contact us directly to enquire about our tailored bulk rates.


Book Synopsis Elements of Philosophy Comprising Logic and Ontology Or General Metaphysics by : W. H. Hill

Download or read book Elements of Philosophy Comprising Logic and Ontology Or General Metaphysics written by W. H. Hill and published by Trieste Publishing. This book was released on 2017-07-28 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trieste Publishing has a massive catalogue of classic book titles. Our aim is to provide readers with the highest quality reproductions of fiction and non-fiction literature that has stood the test of time. The many thousands of books in our collection have been sourced from libraries and private collections around the world.The titles that Trieste Publishing has chosen to be part of the collection have been scanned to simulate the original. Our readers see the books the same way that their first readers did decades or a hundred or more years ago. Books from that period are often spoiled by imperfections that did not exist in the original. Imperfections could be in the form of blurred text, photographs, or missing pages. It is highly unlikely that this would occur with one of our books. Our extensive quality control ensures that the readers of Trieste Publishing's books will be delighted with their purchase. Our staff has thoroughly reviewed every page of all the books in the collection, repairing, or if necessary, rejecting titles that are not of the highest quality. This process ensures that the reader of one of Trieste Publishing's titles receives a volume that faithfully reproduces the original, and to the maximum degree possible, gives them the experience of owning the original work.We pride ourselves on not only creating a pathway to an extensive reservoir of books of the finest quality, but also providing value to every one of our readers. Generally, Trieste books are purchased singly - on demand, however they may also be purchased in bulk. Readers interested in bulk purchases are invited to contact us directly to enquire about our tailored bulk rates.


Epistemology of Experimental Physics

Epistemology of Experimental Physics

Author: Nora Mills Boyd

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2021-12-02

Total Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 1108888852

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This Element introduces major issues in the epistemology of experimental physics through discussion of canonical physics experiments and some that have not yet received much philosophical attention. The primary challenge is to make sense of how physicists justify crucial decisions made in the course of empirical research. Judging a result as epistemically significant or as calling for further technical scrutiny of the equipment is one important context of such decisions. Judging whether the instrument has been calibrated, and which data should be included in the analysis are others. To what extent is it possible to offer philosophical analysis, systematization, and prescriptions regarding such decisions? To what extent can there be explicit epistemic justification for them? The primary aim of this Element is to show how a nuanced understanding of science in practice informs an epistemology of experimental physics that avoids strong social constructivism.


Book Synopsis Epistemology of Experimental Physics by : Nora Mills Boyd

Download or read book Epistemology of Experimental Physics written by Nora Mills Boyd and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-12-02 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Element introduces major issues in the epistemology of experimental physics through discussion of canonical physics experiments and some that have not yet received much philosophical attention. The primary challenge is to make sense of how physicists justify crucial decisions made in the course of empirical research. Judging a result as epistemically significant or as calling for further technical scrutiny of the equipment is one important context of such decisions. Judging whether the instrument has been calibrated, and which data should be included in the analysis are others. To what extent is it possible to offer philosophical analysis, systematization, and prescriptions regarding such decisions? To what extent can there be explicit epistemic justification for them? The primary aim of this Element is to show how a nuanced understanding of science in practice informs an epistemology of experimental physics that avoids strong social constructivism.


The Philosophy Of Scientific Experimentation

The Philosophy Of Scientific Experimentation

Author: Hans Radder

Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Pre

Published: 2003-02-23

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 9780822972396

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The Philosophy of Scientific Experimentation focuses on the identification and clarification of philosophical issues in experimental science.Since the late 1980s, the neglect of experiment by philosophers and historians of science has been replaced by a keen interest in the subject. In this volume, a number of prominent philosophers of experiment directly address basic theoretical questions, develop existing philosophical accounts, and offer novel perspectives on the subject, rather than rely exclusively on historical cases of experimental practice.Each essay examines one or more of six interconnected themes that run throughout the collection: the philosophical implications of actively and intentionally interfering with the material world while conducting experiments; issues of interpretation regarding causality; the link between science and technology; the role of theory in experimentation involving material and causal intervention; the impact of modeling and computer simulation on experimentation; and the philosophical implications of the design, operation, and use of scientific instruments.


Book Synopsis The Philosophy Of Scientific Experimentation by : Hans Radder

Download or read book The Philosophy Of Scientific Experimentation written by Hans Radder and published by University of Pittsburgh Pre. This book was released on 2003-02-23 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Philosophy of Scientific Experimentation focuses on the identification and clarification of philosophical issues in experimental science.Since the late 1980s, the neglect of experiment by philosophers and historians of science has been replaced by a keen interest in the subject. In this volume, a number of prominent philosophers of experiment directly address basic theoretical questions, develop existing philosophical accounts, and offer novel perspectives on the subject, rather than rely exclusively on historical cases of experimental practice.Each essay examines one or more of six interconnected themes that run throughout the collection: the philosophical implications of actively and intentionally interfering with the material world while conducting experiments; issues of interpretation regarding causality; the link between science and technology; the role of theory in experimentation involving material and causal intervention; the impact of modeling and computer simulation on experimentation; and the philosophical implications of the design, operation, and use of scientific instruments.