Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: I argue that there are two distinct approaches to understanding reduction: the ontology-first approach and the theory-first approach. They concern the relation between ontological reduction and inter-theoretic reduction. Further, I argue for the significance of this distinction by demonstrating that either one or the other approach has been taken as an implicit assumption in, and has in fact shaped, our understanding of what statistical mechanics is. More specifically, I argue that Boltzmannian statistical mechanics assumes and relies on the ontology-first approach, whereas Gibbsian statistical mechanics should assume the theory-first approach.
Source: Philosophy of Science
DOI: 10.1017/psa.2023.52
Author: Bixin Guo
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,255
OpenAlex ID: W4361007092