Philosophy of Science Higher Seminar: John Dougherty (Munich)

Seminar

Date: Thursday 24 October 2024

Time: 13.15 – 15.00

Location: D700

Instrumentalism and gauge theories

Abstract

On the usual philosophical story, gauge theories are puzzling because they seem to have "surplus structure": theoretical content that does not directly correspond to features of the world.

Prima facie, this is only a puzzle for a scientific realist: the instrumentalist is indifferent to this sort of correspondence. Nevertheless, I argue, puzzles about gauge theories indeed arise for some contemporary versions of instrumentalism. In particular, there is a problem concerning the interpretation of the physicist's distinction between "gauge" and "physical" symmetries.

I offer a new interpretation of this distinction that has payoffs for current debates in philosophy of physics.

Last updated: October 16, 2024

Source: Department of Philosophy

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