Dynamic and stochastic systems as a framework for metaphysics and the philosophy of science

Christian List; Marcus Pivato

doi:10.1007/s11229-019-02231-8

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arXiv · 1508.04195

Dynamic and stochastic systems as a framework for metaphysics and the philosophy of science

Christian List·Marcus Pivato

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Abstract

Scientists often think of the world (or some part of it) as a dynamical system, a stochastic process, or a generalization of such a system. Prominent examples of systems are (i) the system of planets orbiting the sun or any other classical mechanical system, (ii) a hydrogen atom or any other quantum-mechanical system, and (iii) the earth's atmosphere or any other statistical mechanical system. We introduce a simple and general framework for describing such systems and show how it can be used to examine some familiar philosophical questions, including the following: how can we define nomological possibility, necessity, determinism, and indeterminism; what are symmetries and laws; what regularities must a system display to make scientific inference possible; is there any metaphysical basis for invoking principles of parsimony such as Occam's Razor when we make such inferences; and what is the role of space and time in a system? Our framework is intended to serve as a toolbox for the formal analysis of systems that is applicable in several areas of philosophy.

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Christian List, Marcus Pivato. 2015-08-18. Dynamic and stochastic systems as a framework for metaphysics and the philosophy of science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-019-02231-8

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