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102Is Indistinguishability in Quantum Mechanics Conventional?Foundations of Physics 30 (6): 951-957. 2000.Darrin Belousek has argued that the indistinguishability of quantum particles is conventional “in the Duhemian–Einsteinian sense,” in part by critially examining prior arguments given by Redhead and Teller. Belousek's discussion provides a useful occasion to clarify some of those arguments, acknowledge respects in which they were misleading, and comment on how they can be strengthened. We also comment briefly on the relevant sense of “conventional.”
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9Sentence logicPrentice-Hall. 1989.Table of Contents Volume I Preface to Volumes I and II: A Guide to the Primer Chapter 1, Basic Ideas and Tools Chapter 2, Transcription between English and Sentence Logic Chapter 3, Logical Equivalence, Logical Truths, and Contradictions Chapter 4, Validity and Conditionals Chapter 5, Natural Deduction for Sentence Logic: Fundamentals Chapter 6, Natural Deduction for Sentence Logic: Strategies Chapter 7, Natural Deduction for Sentence Logic: Derived Rules and Derivations without Premises Chapter…Read more
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83Quantum mechanics and the nature of continuous physical quantitiesJournal of Philosophy 76 (7): 345-361. 1979.
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74Modeling TruthPhilosophia 45 (1): 143-161. 2017.Many in philosophy understand truth in terms of precise semantic values, true propositions. Following Braun and Sider, I say that in this sense almost nothing we say is, literally, true. I take the stand that this account of truth nonetheless constitutes a vitally useful idealization in understanding many features of the structure of language. The Fregean problem discussed by Braun and Sider concerns issues about application of language to the world. In understanding these issues I propose an al…Read more
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57From Physics to MetaphysicsPhilosophical Review 106 (2): 272. 1997.The book is drawn from the Tarner lectures, delivered in Cambridge in 1993. It is concerned with the ultimate nature of reality, and how this is revealed by modern physical theories such as relativity and quantum theory. The objectivity and rationality of science are defended against the views of relativists and social constructionists. It is claimed that modern physics gives us a tentative and fallible, but nevertheless rational, approach to the nature of physical reality. The role of subjectiv…Read more
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42The projection postulate: A new perspectivePhilosophy of Science 51 (3): 369-395. 1984.Previous work has shown that the problem of measurement in quantum mechanics is not correctly seen as one of understanding some allegedly univocal process of measurement in nature which corresponds to the projection postulate. The present paper introduces a new perspective by showing that how we are to understand the nature of the change of quantum mechanical state on measurement depends very sensitively on the interpretation of the state function, and by showing how attention to this dependence…Read more
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208Substance, relations, and arguments about the nature of space-timePhilosophical Review 100 (3): 363-397. 1991.
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19Particle Labels and the Theory of Indistinguishable Particles in Quantum MechanicsBritish Journal for the Philosophy of Science 43 (2): 201-218. 1992.We extend the work of French and Redhead [1988] further examining the relation of quantum statistics to the assumption that quantum entities have the sort of identity generally assumed for physical objects, more specifically an identity which makes them susceptible to being thought of as conceptually individuatable and labelable even though they cannot be experimentally distinguished. We also further examine the relation of such hypothesized identity of quantum entities to the Principle of the I…Read more
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939Many in philosophy understand truth in terms of precise semantic values, true propositions. Following Braun and Sider, I say that in this sense almost nothing we say is, literally, true. I take the stand that this account of truth nonetheless constitutes a vitally useful idealization in understanding many features of the structure of language. The Fregean problem discussed by Braun and Sider concerns issues about application of language to the world. In understanding these issues I propose an al…Read more
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102Infinite renormalizationPhilosophy of Science 56 (2): 238-257. 1989.In quantum field theory divergent expressions are "discarded", leaving finite expressions which provide the best predictions anywhere in science. In fact, this "renormalization procedure" involves no mystery or illegitimate operations. This paper explains, in terms accessible to non-experts, how the procedure really works and explores some different ways in which physicists have suggested that one understand it
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77Critical Study: Nancy Cartwright's The Dappled World: A Study of the Boundaries of ScienceNoûs 36 (4): 699-725. 2002.
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26Truth Probability and Paradox: Studies in Philosophical LogicPhilosophical Review 84 (2): 276. 1975.