The Philosophy of Physics

1272 Pages·2016·5.381 MB·English

by  Dean Rickles

Contents
Cover
Dedication
Title Page
Copyright
Preface
Acknowledgments
1 Interpreting Physical Theories
1.1 Does the World Need
Philosophers of Physics ?
1.2 Why No Ancient
Philosophy of Physics?
1.3 The Interpretation Game
1.4 Why Does Physics Work?
1.5 Further Readings
Notes
2 General Concepts of Physics
2.1 The ‘Three Pillars’
2.2 Kinematics and
Dynamics
2.3 Reference Frames,
Invariance, and Covariance
2.4 Further Readings
3 Symmetries in Physics
3.1 Symmetry, Invariance,
and Equivalence
3.2 Symmetries, Laws, and
Worlds
3.3 Some Important
Distinctions
3.4 Further Readings
Notes
4 Getting Philosophy from
Symmetry
4.1 Leibniz Shifts and the
Reality of Space and Time
4.2 A Handy Argument for
the Substantivalist?
4.3 Special Relativity: From
Twins to the Block Universe
4.4 General Relativity and
the Hole Argument
4.5 Further Readings
Notes
5 Further Adventures in Space
and Time
5.1 Can We Know the
World’s Geometry?
5.2 Measuring Time
5.3 Determinism and
Indeterminism in Physics
5.4 Further Readings
Notes
6 Linking Micro to Macro
6.1 Thermodynamics,
Statistical Mechanics, and
Reduction
6.2 Approaching Equilibrium
6.3 The Laws of
Thermodynamics
6.4 Coarse Graining and
Configuration Counting
6.5 Entropy, Time, and
Statistics
6.6 Maxwell’s Demon
6.7 The Past Hypothesis
6.8 Typing Monkeys and
Boltzmann Brains
6.9 Why Don’t We Know
about the Future?
6.10 Further Readings
Notes
7 Quantum Philosophy
7.1 Why is Quantum
Mechanics Weird?
7.2 Uncertainty and
Quantum Probability
7.3 EPR, Odd Socks, and No-
Go Theorems
7.4 The Quantum Mechanics
of Cats
7.5 Identity Crisis
7.6 Further Readings
Notes
8 On the Edge: A Snapshot of
Advanced Topics
8.1 Time Travel and Time
Machines
8.2 Physical Theory and
Computability
8.3 Gauge Pressure
8.4 Quantum Fields
8.5 Frozen Time in Quantum
Gravity
8.6 Fact, Fiction, and Finance
8.7 Anthrobatics and the
Multiverse
Notes
Glossary
References
Index
End User License Agreement
To poor little Nora (who always gets
left out …)
The Philosophy
of Physics
DEAN RICKLES