Laws and SymmetryMetaphysicians speak of laws of nature in terms of necessity and universality; scientists, in terms of symmetry and invariance. In this book van Fraassen argues that no metaphysical account of laws can succeed. He analyzes and rejects the arguments that there are laws of nature, or that we must believe there are, and argues that we should disregard the idea of law as an inadequate clue to science. After exploring what this means for general epistemology, the author develops the empiricist view of science as a construction of models to represent the phenomena. |
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Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The end of metaphysics? | 7 |
What Are Laws of Nature? | 17 |
Copyright | |
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accept account of laws answer Armstrong atom Bayesian believe best explanation best theories Buffon's needle chapter concept conditional probability Conditionalization constraint criterion defined described discussion Dretske empirical entails epistemology equals equation equivalent exactly example experience fact follows Fraassen frame Galilean transformations give hypothesis induction inference invariant Journal of Philosophy judgements language laws of nature Leibniz Lewis Lewis's mathematical means metaphysics modal necessity notion objective chance opinion personal probability phenomena Philosophy of Science physical possible worlds posterior probabilities postulate prediction premiss Principle of Indifference prior probability function probability measure probability theory problem Proofs and illustrations proposition quantum mechanics question radium rational Realism reason relation relevant requirement rule Scientific Realism scientific theories semantic sense simplicity solution sort statements structure Suppose symmetry symmetry argument theoretical toss transformations true truth universals van Fraassen velocity zero