Appearance and reality : an introduction to the philosophy of physics /
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| Author / Creator: | Kosso, Peter. |
|---|---|
| Imprint: | New York : Oxford University Press, 1998. |
| Description: | x, 196 p. : ill. ; 25 cm. |
| Language: | English |
| Subject: | |
| Format: | Print Book |
| URL for this record: | http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/2767134 |
Table of Contents:
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1. Physics and Philosophy
- Why This Will Require Both Physics and Philosophy
- Standards of Proof
- From Physics to Philosophy
- Useful Philosophical Concepts
- Philosophical Issues
- Philosophical Evidence
- 2. Appearance and Reality
- Scientific Observation
- The Conceptual Influence
- The Physical Influence
- Nature as It Is
- Philosophical Arguments about Realism
- Return to Bohr
- 3. The Special Theory of Relativity
- The Principle of Relativity
- Space and Time
- Relative and Absolute Properties
- The Foundations of the Special Theory of Relativity
- Consequences of the Absolute Speed of Light
- The Relativity of Simultaneity
- Time Dilation
- Length Contraction
- Mitch's Paradox
- Nothing Can Go Faster Than the Speed of Light
- Summary of the Special Theory of Relativity
- 4. The General Theory of Relativity
- General Covariance and the Principle of Equivalence
- Consequences of General Covariance and the Principle of Equivalence
- The Bending of Light
- Gravitational Red-shift (Time Dilation)
- The Curvature of Spacetime
- Mach's Principle
- Summary of the General Theory of Relativity
- 5. Relativity and Realism
- Two Separate Questions
- The Way Nature Is
- How Do We Know the Theory is True?
- Summary
- 6. Quantum Mechanics
- Probability, Cause and Effect, and Determinism
- Particles and Waves
- The State Function, Complementarity, and the Uncertainty Principle
- Spin and the EPR Experiment
- Bell's Proof
- Summary of Quantum Mechanics
- 7. Quantum Mechanics and Realism
- What to Make of Bell's Proof
- The Quantum/Classical Distinction
- The Copenhagen Interpretation
- The Measurement Problem
- Alternative Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics
- The Many-words Interpretation
- The Consciousness Interpretation
- It's All Quantum Mechanics
- Bohm's Theory
- Summary
- 8. Realistic Realm
- Two Kinds of Questions: Metaphysics and Epistemology
- The Metaphysical Issue
- The Epistemological Issue
- It's Not the End of the World
- References and Suggested Reading
- Philosophical Background
- Relativity
- Quantum Mechanics
- Historical and Biographical Accounts
- Primary Sources
