Identity in Physics: A Historical, Philosophical, and Formal Analysis
Steven French and Décio Krause
Abstract
Drawing on philosophical accounts of identity and individuality, as well as the histories of both classical and quantum physics, this book explores two alternative metaphysical approaches to quantum particles. It asks if quantum particles can be regarded as individuals, just like books, tables, and people. Taking the first approach, the book argues that if quantum particles are regarded as individuals, then Leibniz’s famous Principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles is in fact violated. Recent discussions of this conclusion are analysed in detail and the costs involved in saving the Princip ... More
Drawing on philosophical accounts of identity and individuality, as well as the histories of both classical and quantum physics, this book explores two alternative metaphysical approaches to quantum particles. It asks if quantum particles can be regarded as individuals, just like books, tables, and people. Taking the first approach, the book argues that if quantum particles are regarded as individuals, then Leibniz’s famous Principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles is in fact violated. Recent discussions of this conclusion are analysed in detail and the costs involved in saving the Principle are carefully considered. For the second approach, the book considers recent work in non-standard logic and set theory to indicate how we can make sense of the idea that objects can be non-individuals. The concluding chapter suggests how these results might then be extended to quantum field theory.
Keywords:
individuality,
classical physics,
quantum physics,
particles,
Leibniz,
Identity of Indiscernibles,
non-standard logic,
set theory,
non-individuality,
quantum field theory
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2006 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780199278244 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: September 2006 |
DOI:10.1093/0199278245.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
Steven French, author
University of Leeds
Author Webpage
Décio Krause, author
Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
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