Disputed term/author/ism | Author |
Entry |
Reference |
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Abstraction | Bigelow | I 380 Abstractions/Figures/Armstrong/Bigelow/Pargetter: Numbers are causally inactive. Mathematics/Realism/Bigelow/Pargetter: some mathematical entities are even observable. >Mathematical entities, >Theoretical entities. I 381 Causation/Mathematics/BigelowVsArmstrong/Bigelow/Pargetter: in fact, people are not causes, but they are involved in causal processes. Numbers: they are also involved in causal processes. If objects did not instantiate the quantities they instanced, other changes would have occurred. Thus at least proportions are causally involved. ((s) FieldVsNumbers as causal agents, but not Vs proportions). >Propositions, >Hartry Field, >Causality. I 382 Counterfactual dependence/Bigelow/Pargetter: one can again set up consequences of counterfactual conditionals, e.g. For the lever laws of Archimedes. This also provides why-explanations. >Dependence/Bigelow, >Counterfactual dependence. I 383 Numbers/causality/Bigelow/Pargetter: this shows that numbers play a fundamental role in causal explanations. >Platonism, >Causal explanations. BigelowVsField: (ad Field, Science without numbers)(1): he falsely assumes that physics first starts with pure empiricism, in order to convert the results into completely abstract mathematics. Field/Bigelow/Pargetter: wants to avoid this detour. BigelowVsField: his project is superfluous when we realize that mathematics is only a different description of the physical proportions and relations and no detour. >Proportions. 1. H. Field, Science without numbers Princeton New Jersey 1980. |
Big I J. Bigelow, R. Pargetter Science and Necessity Cambridge 1990 |
Mathematical Entities | Armstrong | Bigelow I 380 Numbers/Armstrong/Bigelow/Pargetter: Armstrong Thesis: Numbers are causally inactive. (Field ditto). Mathematics/Realism/Bigelow/Pargetter: some mathematical entities are even observable!(1) I 381 Causation/Mathematics/BigelowVsArmstrong/Bigelow/Pargetter: Numbers: even they are involved in the causal processes. If objects did not instantiate the quantities they instantiate, other changes would have occurred. Thus at least proportions are causally involved. (s) FieldVsNumbers as causal agents, but not FieldVsProportions). I 382 Counterfactual Dependence/Bigelow/Pargetter: thus we can again set up sequences of counterfactual conditionals, e.g. for the lever laws of Archimedes. This also provides why explanations. ((s) >Cf. >Counterfactual Dependence.) I 383 Numbers/Causality/Bigelow/Pargetter: this shows that numbers play a fundamental role in causal explanations. ((s) Cf. >Mathematical Entities/Benacerraf.) BigelowVsField: (a propos Field, Science without numbers): he falsely assumes that physics first starts with pure empiricism to then convert the results into completely abstract mathematics. Field/Bigelow/Pargetter: wants to avoid this detour. BigelowVsField: his project is superfluous if we realize that mathematics are only a different description of the physical proportions and relations and no detour. 1.J. Bigelow, R. Pargetter Science and Necessity Cambridge 1990 |
Armstrong I David M. Armstrong Meaning and Communication, The Philosophical Review 80, 1971, pp. 427-447 In Handlung, Kommunikation, Bedeutung, Georg Meggle Frankfurt/M. 1979 Armstrong II (a) David M. Armstrong Dispositions as Categorical States In Dispositions, Tim Crane London New York 1996 Armstrong II (b) David M. Armstrong Place’ s and Armstrong’ s Views Compared and Contrasted In Dispositions, Tim Crane London New York 1996 Armstrong II (c) David M. Armstrong Reply to Martin In Dispositions, Tim Crane London New York 1996 Armstrong II (d) David M. Armstrong Second Reply to Martin London New York 1996 Armstrong III D. Armstrong What is a Law of Nature? Cambridge 1983 Big I J. Bigelow, R. Pargetter Science and Necessity Cambridge 1990 |