The goal of this course is to introduce students to contemporary philosophical debates in philosophy of science, and to build the analytical and critical skills needed to contribute to those debates. This year the topic chosen is the philosophy of physics, and in particular the main conceptual problems and interpretive issues found in quantum theories and Einstein’s relativity theories. Students will acquire an understanding of the conceptual foundations of these theories and of the interpretive questions that remain unsolved; they will also acquire an understanding of how General Relativity and quantum theory appear to conflict with each other, giving rise to the search for a quantum gravity theory. Classes will consist of introductory lectures by the professors, and in later weeks discussion sessions based on reading of important contemporary articles. Students will be expected to participate in class discussion and write a final paper on the topic.
No special mathematics or physics knowledge is presupposed, beyond high-school level mathematics.
Structure and Contents
Part 1: Space, time and Relativity theory
- Introduction to space, time and mechanics: from Aristotle to Newton.
- The ontology of space and time in classical physics I: the Leibniz-Newton debate.
- 20th century Leibnizian theories (Huggett, Barbour).
- Introduction to Special Relativity.
- Introduction to General Relativity.
- The ontology of space and time in relativistic physics: the Hole Argument and Mach’s Principle. Introduction to the formalism of quantum mechanics.
Part 2: Philosophy of quantum theory
- Introduction to the formalism of quantum mechanics.
- Why quantum mechanics needs an interpretation: the measurement problem.
- Interpretations of quantum mechanics I: many worlds, many minds.
- Interpretations of quantum mechanics II: primitive ontology approaches.
- Space and time meet the quantum: the problem(s) of quantum gravity.