Identity in Physics: A Historical, Philosophical, and Formal Analysis

ISBN-13: 9780199278244 / Angielski / Twarda / 2006 / 448 str.

Steven French; Decio Krause

Opis

Steven French and Decio Krause examine the metaphysical foundations of quantum physics. They draw together historical, logical, and philosophical perspectives on the fundamental nature of quantum particles and offer new insights on a range of important issues. Focusing on the concepts of identity and individuality, the authors explore two alternative metaphysical views; according to one, quantum particles are no different from books, tables, and people in this respect; according to the other, they most certainly are. Each view comes with certain costs attached and after describing their origins in the history of quantum theory, the authors carefully consider whether these costs are worth bearing. Recent contributions to these discussions are analyzed in detail and the authors present their own original perspective on the issues. The final chapter suggests how this perspective can be taken forward in the context of quantum field theory.

Recenzje

The debate on the individuality of particles in classical and quantum physics is one of the most fascinating ongoing debates in philosophy of physics...Steven French and Decio Krause's book is not just a long overdue addition to the existing literature: it is the most thorough and authoritative monograph ever written on the subject, and is bound to shape any future philosophical debate on identity in physics...this monograph is a must for anyone interested to tackle these deep metaphysical issues and their far-reaching implications for the world we live in.