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Physics, Structure, and Reality /

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: North, Jill (Author)
Corporate Author: ProQuest (Firm)
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Oxford ; New York, NY : Oxford University Press, 2021.
Edition:First edition.
Subjects:
Physics > Philosophy.
Electronic books.
Online Access:Connect to the full text of this electronic book
Table of Contents:
  • Cover
  • Physics, Structure, and Reality
  • Copyright
  • Dedication
  • Preface
  • Contents
  • 1: Introduction
  • 2: What is Structure? Why Care about It?
  • 2.1 An example
  • 2.2 Examples from physics
  • 2.3 Related notions
  • 2.4 Comparing structures
  • 3: Inferences about Structure
  • 3.1 Inference rules
  • 3.2 Structure presupposed by the laws
  • 3.3 Minimizing and matching structure
  • 3.4 Other principles
  • 3.5 Invariance, structure, and coordinates
  • 4: Classical Mechanics
  • 4.1 Introduction
  • 4.2 An overview of the theories
  • 4.2.1 Newtonian mechanics
  • 4.2.2 Lagrangian mechanics
  • 4.3 Examples using Newtonian mechanics
  • 4.4 Newton's law and Cartesian coordinates
  • 4.5 Examples using Lagrangian mechanics
  • 4.6 Cross-structural comparison
  • 4.7 Applying the minimize-structure rule
  • 5: Spatiotemporal Structure
  • 5.1 The debate about spacetime
  • 5.2 A brief history of space
  • 5.3 A lesson of the traditional examples
  • 5.4 A disagreement about ground
  • 5.5 The disagreement: further details
  • 5.6 An argument for substantivalism
  • 5.7 A challenge for relationalism
  • 6: Realism about Structure
  • 6.1 Introduction
  • 6.2 Taking the mathematics (too) seriously
  • 6.3 A different realism about structure
  • 6.4 Structure, models, and scientific theories
  • 7: On the Equivalence of Physical Theories
  • 7.1 Differing criteria
  • 7.2 Initial cases
  • 7.3 More cases
  • 7.4 Metaphysical and informational equivalence
  • 7.5 Additional cases
  • 7.6 Explanation matters
  • References
  • Index.