Philosophy of Physics
- 1st Edition - October 16, 2006
- Imprint: North Holland
- Editors: Dov M. Gabbay, Jeremy Butterfield, John Earman, Paul Thagard, John Woods
- Language: English
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 4 6 6 6 5 - 1
The ambition of this volume is twofold: to provide a comprehensive overview of the field and to serve as an indispensable reference work for anyone who wants to work in it. For… Read more
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Request a sales quoteThe ambition of this volume is twofold: to provide a comprehensive overview of the field and to serve as an indispensable reference work for anyone who wants to work in it. For example, any philosopher who hopes to make a contribution to the topic of the classical-quantum correspondence will have to begin by consulting Klaas Landsman’s chapter.
The organization of this volume, as well as the choice of topics, is based on the conviction that the important problems in the philosophy of physics arise from studying the foundations of the fundamental theories of physics. It follows that there is no sharp line to be drawn between philosophy of physics and physics itself. Some of the best work in the philosophy of physics is being done by physicists, as witnessed by the fact that several of the contributors to the volume are theoretical physicists: viz., Ellis, Emch, Harvey, Landsman, Rovelli, ‘t Hooft, the last of whom is a Nobel laureate.
The organization of this volume, as well as the choice of topics, is based on the conviction that the important problems in the philosophy of physics arise from studying the foundations of the fundamental theories of physics. It follows that there is no sharp line to be drawn between philosophy of physics and physics itself. Some of the best work in the philosophy of physics is being done by physicists, as witnessed by the fact that several of the contributors to the volume are theoretical physicists: viz., Ellis, Emch, Harvey, Landsman, Rovelli, ‘t Hooft, the last of whom is a Nobel laureate.
Key features
- Definitive discussions of the philosophical implications of modern physics
- Masterly expositions of the fundamental theories of modern physics
- Covers all three main pillars of modern physics: relativity theory, quantum theory, and thermal physics
- Covers the new sciences grown from these theories: for example, cosmology from relativity theory; and quantum information and quantum computing, from quantum theory
- Contains special Chapters that address crucial topics that arise in several different theories, such as symmetry and determinism
- Written by very distinguished theoretical physicists, including a Nobel Laureate, as well as by philosophers
- Definitive discussions of the philosophical implications of modern physics
- Masterly expositions of the fundamental theories of modern physics
- Covers all three main pillars of modern physics: relativity theory, quantum theory, and thermal physics
- Covers the new sciences that have grown from these theories: for example, cosmology from relativity theory; and quantum information and quantum computing, from quantum theory
- Contains special Chapters that address crucial topics that arise in several different theories, such as symmetry and determinism
- Written by very distinguished theoretical physicists, including a Nobel Laureate, as well as by philosophers
- Masterly expositions of the fundamental theories of modern physics
- Covers all three main pillars of modern physics: relativity theory, quantum theory, and thermal physics
- Covers the new sciences that have grown from these theories: for example, cosmology from relativity theory; and quantum information and quantum computing, from quantum theory
- Contains special Chapters that address crucial topics that arise in several different theories, such as symmetry and determinism
- Written by very distinguished theoretical physicists, including a Nobel Laureate, as well as by philosophers
Philosophers who work in philosophy of physics and foundations of physics.
General Preface (Dov Gabbay, Paul Thagard and John Woods)
Introduction (Jeremy Butterfield and John Earman)
List of Contributors
On Symplectic Reduction in Classical Mechanics (Jeremy Butterfield)
The Representation of Time and Change in Mechanics (Gordon Belot)
Classical Relativity Theory (David Malament)
Non-Relativisitic Quantum Theory (Michael Dickson)
Between Classical and Quantum (N.P. Landsman)
Quantum Information and Computing (Jeffrey Bub)
The Conceptual Basis of Quantum Field Theory (Gerard 't Hooft)
Algebraic Quantum Field Theory (Hans Halvorson (with an Appendix by Michael Müger)
Issues in the Foundations of Classical Statistical Physics (Jos Uffink)
Quantum Statistical Physics (Gerard Emch)
Issues in the Philosophy of Cosmology (George F.R. Ellis)
Quantum Gravity (Carlo Rovelli)
Symmetrics and Invariances in Classical Physics (Katherine Brading and Elena Castellani)
Aspects of Determinism in Modern Physics (John Earman)
Index
Introduction (Jeremy Butterfield and John Earman)
List of Contributors
On Symplectic Reduction in Classical Mechanics (Jeremy Butterfield)
The Representation of Time and Change in Mechanics (Gordon Belot)
Classical Relativity Theory (David Malament)
Non-Relativisitic Quantum Theory (Michael Dickson)
Between Classical and Quantum (N.P. Landsman)
Quantum Information and Computing (Jeffrey Bub)
The Conceptual Basis of Quantum Field Theory (Gerard 't Hooft)
Algebraic Quantum Field Theory (Hans Halvorson (with an Appendix by Michael Müger)
Issues in the Foundations of Classical Statistical Physics (Jos Uffink)
Quantum Statistical Physics (Gerard Emch)
Issues in the Philosophy of Cosmology (George F.R. Ellis)
Quantum Gravity (Carlo Rovelli)
Symmetrics and Invariances in Classical Physics (Katherine Brading and Elena Castellani)
Aspects of Determinism in Modern Physics (John Earman)
Index
- Edition: 1
- Published: October 16, 2006
- Imprint: North Holland
- No. of pages: 1522
- Language: English
- eBook ISBN: 9780080466651
DG
Dov M. Gabbay
Dov M. Gabbay is Augustus De Morgan Professor Emeritus of Logic at the Group of Logic, Language and Computation, Department of Computer Science, King's College London. He has authored over four hundred and fifty research papers and over thirty research monographs. He is editor of several international Journals, and many reference works and Handbooks of Logic.
Affiliations and expertise
Augustus De Morgan Professor Emeritus of Logic at the Group of Logic, Language and Computation, Department of Computer Science, King's College London.JB
Jeremy Butterfield
Affiliations and expertise
Cambridge University, United KingdomJE
John Earman
Affiliations and expertise
University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.PT
Paul Thagard
Affiliations and expertise
University of Waterloo, CanadaJW
John Woods
Affiliations and expertise
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaRead Philosophy of Physics on ScienceDirect