Laws and Symmetry

by Bas C. Van Fraassen

Book Overview

Metaphysicians speak of laws of nature in terms of necessity and universality; scientists, in terms of symmetry and invariance. In this book van Fraassen argues that no metaphysical account of laws can succeed. He analyzes and rejects the arguments that there are laws of nature, or that we must believe there are, and argues that we should disregard the idea of law as an adequate clue to science. After exploring what this means for general epistemology,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0198248601
• ISBN13: 9780198248606
• Release Date: January 1990
• Publisher: OUP Oxford
• Length: 410 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.5"