How the Laws of Physics can be confronted with Experience
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/ths.1992.004Keywords
physics laws, experience, phenomenological lawsAbstract
Nancy Cartwright’s arguments in favour of the phenomenological laws and against the fundamental ones are discussed. I support and strengthen her criticism of the standard covering-law account but I am sceptical in respect to her radical conclusions that the laws of physics lie. Arguments in favour of the opposite standpoint are based on V. Stjopin’s analysis of scientific-theory structure. A theory-change model presented here demonstrates how the fundamental laws of physics can be confronted with experience. Its case studies include the Lo¬rentz—Einstein—Bohr transition and modern General Relativity and Quantum Field Theory unification.References
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