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Ballinger, Clint (2008) Initial Conditions and the ‘Open Systems’ Argument against Laws of Nature. Metaphysica: International Journal for Ontology and Metaphysics, 9 (1). pp. 17-31. ISSN 1437-2053

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    Abstract

    This article attacks “open systems” arguments that because constant conjunctions are not generally observed in the real world of open systems we should be highly skeptical that universal laws exist. This work differs from other critiques of open system arguments against laws of nature by not focusing on laws themselves, but rather on the inference from open systems. We argue that open system arguments fail for two related reasons; 1) because they cannot account for the “systems” central to their argument (nor the implied systems labeled “exogenous factors” in relation to the system of interest) and 2) they are nomocentric, fixated on laws while ignoring initial and antecedent conditions that are able to account for systems and exogenous factors within a fundamentalist framework.

    Item Type: Article
    Uncontrolled Keywords: Initial conditions; Laws of nature; Open systems; Cartwright; Quantum Decoherence
    Subjects: Physical Sciences > Physics
    Historical and Philosophical studies > Philosophy > Metaphysics
    Historical and Philosophical studies > Philosophy > Philosophy of Science
    Divisions: UNSPECIFIED
    Depositing User: Clint Ballinger
    Date Deposited: 15 Nov 2008 04:23
    Last Modified: 23 Aug 2010 14:26
    URI: http://opendepot.org/id/eprint/189

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