On Theories: Logical Empiricism and the Methodology of Modern Physics

The final work of the esteemed philosopher William Demopoulos supplants logical empiricism’s accounts of physical theories, which fail to satisfactorily engage modern physics. Arguing for a new appreciation of the tightly woven character of theory and evidence, Demopoulos offers novel insights into the distinctive nature of quantum reality.

Table of Contents:
Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Editor’s Foreword Introduction 1.1 The Partial Interpretation Account of Theories 1.2 Carnap on Ramsey Sentences and the Explicit Definition of Theoretical Terms 1.3 A Proposal of David Lewis and Two Theorems of John Winnie 1.4 Putnam’s Model-Theoretic Argument 1.5 Ramsey on Russell’s Analysis of Matter and the Partial Interpretation of Theories 1.6 Constructive Empiricism and Partial Interpretation 2.1 The Molecular Hypothesis 2.2 Molecular Reality and Brownian Motion 2.3 The Nature and Status of Perrin’s “Connecting Link” 2.4 Perrin’s Argument for Molecular Reality 2.5 Thomson and the Constitution of Cathode Rays 3.1 Poincaré on “True Relations” 3.2 Robustness versus Consilience 3.3 Poincaré and Scientific Realism 3.4 Russell and Poincaré 4.1 Bohr on the Primacy of Classical Concepts 4.2 Complementarity, Completeness, and Einstein’s Local Realism 4.3 Bell’s Theorem and Einstein’s Local Realism 4.4 Quantum Mechanics and Reality Editor’s Afterword Notes Bibliography Acknowledgments Index

Review :
Demopoulos wrote 'for the eye of God and the good of my soul, ' as he used to say. On Theories is a stunning achievement, a profound argument for a novel thesis about the nature of truth in scientific theories, ranging from case studies about our understanding of molecular reality to Bohr's dispute with Einstein about quantum reality. -- Jeffrey Bub, University of Maryland On Theories, a painstaking analysis of the seemingly straightforward concept of theory, takes us on an exciting journey through twentieth-century science and philosophy of science. It critiques naïve dogmas such as the theory/observation dichotomy, replacing them with a nuanced account centered on the notion of 'theory-mediated measurement.' On the basis of this account, Demopoulos offers a novel interpretation of major breakthroughs in classical as well as quantum mechanics. Meticulous in its historical analysis and compelling in its philosophical argument, On Theories is a must for anyone interested in science and its method. -- Yemima Ben-Menahem, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem William Demopoulos was one of the leading philosophers of science of his generation. An accomplished logician whose mastery of the logicist tradition was unequaled, he was just as productive in contemporary philosophy of physics, especially philosophy of quantum physics. On Theories brings to a stunning close a line of research he actively pursued for the last two decades: the epistemology and ontology of physical theories. This is not only an important book but a rare landmark in the development of the discipline. -- Thomas Uebel, University of Manchester