Probabilities, Causes and Propensities in Physics

Mauricio Suárez

Ara 2010 · Synthese Library Kitap 347 · Springer Science & Business Media

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This volume defends a novel approach to the philosophy of physics: it is the first book devoted to a comparative study of probability, causality, and propensity, and their various interrelations, within the context of contemporary physics -- particularly quantum and statistical physics. The philosophical debates and distinctions are firmly grounded upon examples from actual physics, thus exemplifying a robustly empiricist approach. The essays, by both prominent scholars in the field and promising young researchers, constitute a pioneer effort in bringing out the connections between probabilistic, causal and dispositional aspects of the quantum domain. The book will appeal to specialists in philosophy and foundations of physics, philosophy of science in general, metaphysics, ontology of physics theories, and philosophy of probability.

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Mauricio Suárez is a philosopher of science specialising in philosophy of physics. He has published widely in the philosophy of quantum mechanics, modelling and representation, and scientific epistemology in journals such as Erkenntnis, Studies in History and Philosohy of Modern Physics, Foundations of Physics, Philosophy of Science, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, History of the Human Sciences. He is the editor of Fictions in Science: Philosophical Essays on Modelling and Idealisation (London: Routledge, 2009) and co-editor of the Proceedings of the founding conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association (EPSA), which he organised in Madrid in 2007.