The Laws' Properties

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Abstract

We are good at discussing law statements of different epistemic status, and to describe logical relationships between different law statements. But contemporary discussion often suffers from a difficulty to formulate questions concerning laws of different ontological status. This paper presents a framework for distinguishing between properties and fake properties that seems to provide better tools for such inquiries. This paper also examines criteria for properties in connection with laws of nature. It discusses three suggested tests for properties, by Maxwell, Ramsey, and Cartwright. None of these tests is good as it stands. Rather than favouring one particular test, we should opt for methodologically stable decisions, i.e. decisions where several tests come to the same conclusion.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationNature's principles
EditorsJan Faye, Uwe Scheffler, Max Urchs
PublisherSpringer
Pages239-254
Volume4
ISBN (Print)1-4020-3257-9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2005
Event5th Baltic Workshop on Logic and Philosophy of Science - Copenhagen, Denmark
Duration: 2001 May 242001 May 27

Publication series

NameLogic, Epistemology, and the Unity of Science
PublisherSpringer
Volume4
ISSN (Print)2214-9775

Conference

Conference5th Baltic Workshop on Logic and Philosophy of Science
Country/TerritoryDenmark
CityCopenhagen
Period2001/05/242001/05/27

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Philosophy

Free keywords

  • trope
  • universal
  • Cartwright
  • mechanism
  • Laws of nature

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