Marc Lange

Intro to the Philosophy of Phy

• Gebundenes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

This book combines physics, history, and philosophy in a radical new approach to introducing the philosophy of physics. Accessible to readers with little background in physics or philosophy, this book allows the reader to wrestle with the metaphysical and conceptual problems that drove innovation in physics, from nineteenth-century electromagnetic field theory through relativity and quantum mechanics. Among the topics treated are locality, causality, and scientific explanation; relativity, energy, mass, and the reality of fields; and quantum metaphysics. The book's engaging, non-technical style makes it ideal for those who want to go beyond the equations and discover what physics reveals about reality.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Wiley
• Seitenzahl: 344
• Erscheinungstermin: 19. Juli 2002
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 235mm x 157mm x 23mm
• Gewicht: 652g
• ISBN-13: 9780631225003
• ISBN-10: 0631225005
• Artikelnr.: 21312566

Autorenporträt

Marc Lange is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Washington. He is author of Natural Laws in Scientific Practice (2000).

Inhaltsangabe

Preface.
1. What Is Spatiotemporal Locality?.
The Big Picture.
Causal Relations between Events.
Action by Contact.
Spatial, Temporal, and Spatiotemporal Locality Defined.
Intrinsic Properties and Noncausal Connections.
You Might Think about...
2. Fields to the Rescue?.
The Electric Force.
The Electric Field and its Possible Interpretations.
Potentials.
Lines of Force.
You Might Think about...
3. Dispositions and Causes:.
Introduction.
Dispositions, Categorical Bases, and Subjunctive Conditionals.
Are the Categorical Bases in Themselves Unknowable?.
You Might Think about...
4. Locality and Scientific Explanation:.
Is Action at a Distance Impossible?.
Brute Facts and Ultimate Explanations.
Which Facts are Brute?.
You Might Think about...
5. Fields, Energy, and Momentum:.
Introduction.
The Argument from Conserved Quantities.
Why Energy's Ontological Status Matters.
Energy in Classical Physics.
Energy in the Fields.
Energy Flow and the Poynting Vector.
A Moral Regarding the Testability of Theories.
You Might Think about...
6. Is There Nothing But Fields?.
Is Electric Charge Real?.
Faraday's Picture.
You Might Think about...
7. Relativity and the Unification of Electricity and Magnetism:.
Unification in Physics.
How Relativity Unifies Electricity and Magnetism.
Einstein's Argument from Asymmetry.
The Interdependence of Philosophy and Physics.
You Might Think about...
8. Relativity, Energy, Mass, and the Reality of Fields:.
Classical Physics and the "Relativity of Motion".
Relativistic Invariants and the Unification that Relativity Achieves: Space
and Time.
Relativistic Invariants and the Unification that Relativity Achieves:
Energy and Momentum.
Mass and the Meaning of "E = mc2".
Fields -- at Last!.
Erasing the Line between Scientific Theory and its Philosophical
Interpretation.
You Might Think about...
9. Quantum Metaphysics:.
Is Quantum Mechanics Complete?.
The Bell Inequalities.
For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Wrestling with Nonlocality.
Entanglement, Reduction, and Intrinsic Properties.
You Might Think about...
Final Exam.
References.
Index.

Rezensionen

"Marc Lange uses the philosophical tools of traditional metaphysicsto analyze examples drawn from electromagnetic theory and quantummechanics and in turn uses these examples to refine some of thebasic concepts of traditional metaphysics. The result is anexcellent introduction to the best sort of metaphysics, the sortthat is informed by our best physical theories." JeffreyBarrett, University of California, Irvine

"This is philosophy of physics that meets even Feynman'schallenge of making a difference for physics while it attainsHempel's standards of clarity. I can hardly imagine teaching thephilosophy of physics, at any level, from introductory to graduateseminar, without using this book!" Alex Rosenberg, DukeUniversity

"Eschewing the technical jargon of philosophy of science, thoughhe is a fluent contributor to journals and refers to current issuesin appropriate notes, Lange employs a breezy, common languagestyle, complete with discussion questions suitable for anundergraduate introductory class. [...] Highly recommended tophilosphically inexperienced physicists as well as current studentsin philosophy of science. Lower-division undergraduates throughfaculty." P.D. Skiff, Bard College, Choice, January2003

"An accomplished philosopher of science, Lange introduces theepistemological consequences of a central idea in physics -locality ... Eschewing the technical jargon of philosophy ofscience, though he is a fluent contributor to journals and feres tocurrent issues in appropriate notes, Lange employs a breezy, commomlanguage style, complete with discussion questions suitable for anundergraduate introductory class ... his introduction to the issuesvia concrete example is very effective and unique. Highlyrecommended to philosophically inexperienced physicists as well ascurrent students in philosophy of science." Choice