Year: 1998
Type: article
Abstract: Laws are supposed to tell us how physical systems actually behave. The analysis of an important part of physical practice—abstraction—shows, however, that laws describe the behavior of physical systems under very special circumstances, namely when they are isolated. Nevertheless, laws areappliedin cases of non-isolation as well. This practice requires an explanation. It is argued that one has to assume that physical systems have dispositions. I take these to be innocuous from an empiricist's standpoint because they can—at least in principle—be measured. Laws can beappliedwhenever such a disposition is present, theydescribehow the physical system would behave if the disposition were manifest.
Source: Philosophy of Science
DOI: 10.1086/392629
Author: Andreas Hüttemann
Institution: Bielefeld University
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1993374726