Despite its apparent complexity, our world seems to be governed by simple laws of physics. This volume provides a philosophical introduction to such laws. I explain how they are connected to some of the central issues in philosophy, such as ontology, possibility, explanation, induction, counterfactuals, time, determinism, and fundamentality. I suggest that laws are fundamental facts that govern the world by constraining its physical possibilities. I examine three hallmarks of laws-simplicity, exactness, and objectivity-and discuss whether and how they may be associated with laws of physics.
| ISBN: | 9781009479356 |
| Publication date: | 20th June 2024 |
| Author: | Eddy Keming Chen |
| Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 75 pages |
| Series: | Elements in the Philosophy of Physics |
| Genres: |
Philosophy of science Philosophy: metaphysics and ontology Philosophy: epistemology and theory of knowledge Classical mechanics Quantum physics (quantum mechanics and quantum field theory) Relativity physics |