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book: The Ultimate Constituents of the Material World
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The Ultimate Constituents of the Material World

In Search of an Ontology for Fundamental Physics
  • Meinard Kuhlmann
Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2010
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Philosophische Analyse / Philosophical Analysis

About this book

Today, quantum field theory (QFT)—the mathematical and conceptual framework for contemporary elementary particle physics—is the best starting point for analysing the fundamental building blocks of the material world. QFT if taken seriously in its metaphysical implications yields a picture of the world that is at variance with central classical conceptions. The core of Kuhlmann’s investigation consists in the analysis of various ontological interpretations of QFT, e.g. substance ontologies as well as a process-ontological approach. Eventually, Kuhlmann proposes a dispositional trope ontology, according to which particularized properties and not things are the most basic entities, in terms of which all other entities are to be analysed, e.g as bundles of properties. This book was chosen for the 2009 ontos-Award for research on analytical ontology and metaphysics by the German Society for Analytical Philosophy.

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  • Publicly Available

    Frontmatter

    i
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  • Publicly Available

    Contents

    v
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    Preface

    xi
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  • Part I. Ontology and Quantum Field Theory
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    1. Introduction

    1
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    2. Philosophical Background

    7
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    3. Ontology and Physics

    17
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    4. History and Basic Structure of QFT

    27
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    5. Alternative Approaches

    41
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    6. The Ontological Significance of QFT and AQFT

    47
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  • Part II. Classical Ontologies
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    7. Classical vs. Revisionary Ontologies

    63
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    8. Particle Interpretation of QFT

    83
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    9. Field Interpretations of QFT

    113
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  • Part III. Revisionary Ontologies
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    10. Process Ontology

    121
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    11. Trope Ontology I: The Ontological

    135
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    12. Trope Ontology II: Properties and Things

    151
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  • Part IV. The Trope Bundle Interpretation of QFT: A New Ontology for Fundamental Physics
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    13. Dispositional Trope Ontology

    157
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  • Part V. Concluding Remarks
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    14. Physics and Philosophy

    185
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    15. Summing Up

    187
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  • Part VI. Appendices
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    Abbreviations and Notation

    199
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    A. Special Relativity Theory: Some Notation and Required Results

    201
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    B. Ontologically Oriented Survey of Quantum Mechanics

    203
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    C. Advanced Foundational Topics in QFT

    221
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    D. Assumptions and Results of AQFT

    227
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    Bibliography

    241
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    Physics (and Mathematics) Glossary

    259
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    Philosophy Glossary

    273
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    Backmatter

    275
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Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
May 2, 2013
eBook ISBN:
9783110326123
Hardcover published on:
March 2, 2010
Hardcover ISBN:
9783110325270
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Main content:
274
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110326123
eBook ISBN: 9783110326123
Hardcover ISBN: 9783110325270
Keywords for this book
Ontologie; Philosophie; Physik; Wissenschaftstheorie
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