Back to Search
Start Over
An Invitation to Approximate Symmetry, with Three Applications to Intertheoretic Relations
- Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Merely approximate symmetry is mundane enough in physics that one rarely finds any explication of it. Among philosophers it has also received scant attention compared to exact symmetries. Herein I invite further consideration of this concept that is so essential to the practice of physics and interpretation of physical theory. After motivating why it deserves such scrutiny, I propose a minimal definition of approximate symmetry - that is, one that presupposes as little structure on a physical theory to which it is applied as seems needed. Then I apply this definition to three topics: first, accounting for or explaining the symmetries of a theory emeritus in intertheoretic reduction; second, explicating and evaluating the Curie-Post principle; and third, a new account of accidental symmetry.
Details
- Database :
- OAIster
- Notes :
- text, English
- Publication Type :
- Electronic Resource
- Accession number :
- edsoai.on1163786941
- Document Type :
- Electronic Resource