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Chapter Two. The Metaphysical Foundations of Statistical Mechanics

On the Status of PROB and PH
© 2023 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College

© 2023 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents v
  3. Introduction 1
  4. PART I. OVERVIEW of TIME AND CHANCE
  5. Chapter One. The Mentaculus: A Probability Map of the Universe 13
  6. PART II. PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS
  7. Chapter Two. The Metaphysical Foundations of Statistical Mechanics 57
  8. Chapter Three. The Logic of the Past Hypothesis 76
  9. Chapter Four. In What Sense Is the Early Universe Fine-Tuned? 110
  10. Chapter Five. The Meta-Reversibility Objection 142
  11. Chapter Six. Typicality versus Humean Probabilities as the Foundation of Statistical Mechanics 178
  12. Chapter Seven. The Past Hypothesis and the Nature of Physical Laws 204
  13. Chapter Eight. On the Albertian Demon 249
  14. PART III. UNDERWRITING the ASYMMETRIES of KNOWLEDGE and INTERVENTION
  15. Chapter Nine. Reading the Past in the Present 271
  16. Chapter Ten. Causes, Randomness, and the Past Hypothesis 294
  17. Chapter Eleven. Time, Flies, and Why We Can’t Control the Past 312
  18. Chapter Twelve. The Concept of Intervention in Time and Chance 335
  19. Conclusion 351
  20. Contributors 377
  21. Index 379
The Probability Map of the Universe
This chapter is in the book The Probability Map of the Universe
https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674287716-003

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents v
  3. Introduction 1
  4. PART I. OVERVIEW of TIME AND CHANCE
  5. Chapter One. The Mentaculus: A Probability Map of the Universe 13
  6. PART II. PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS
  7. Chapter Two. The Metaphysical Foundations of Statistical Mechanics 57
  8. Chapter Three. The Logic of the Past Hypothesis 76
  9. Chapter Four. In What Sense Is the Early Universe Fine-Tuned? 110
  10. Chapter Five. The Meta-Reversibility Objection 142
  11. Chapter Six. Typicality versus Humean Probabilities as the Foundation of Statistical Mechanics 178
  12. Chapter Seven. The Past Hypothesis and the Nature of Physical Laws 204
  13. Chapter Eight. On the Albertian Demon 249
  14. PART III. UNDERWRITING the ASYMMETRIES of KNOWLEDGE and INTERVENTION
  15. Chapter Nine. Reading the Past in the Present 271
  16. Chapter Ten. Causes, Randomness, and the Past Hypothesis 294
  17. Chapter Eleven. Time, Flies, and Why We Can’t Control the Past 312
  18. Chapter Twelve. The Concept of Intervention in Time and Chance 335
  19. Conclusion 351
  20. Contributors 377
  21. Index 379
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