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Are Our Best Physical Theories (Probably and/or Approximately) True?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Jeffrey A. Barrett
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Abstract

There is good reason to suppose that our best physical theories are false: In addition to its own internal problems, the standard formulation of quantum mechanics is logically incompatible with special relativity. I will also argue that we have no concrete idea what it means to claim that these theories are approximately true.

Type
Topics in Philosophy of Physics
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 70 , Issue 5: Proceedings of the 2002 Biennial Meeting of The Philosophy of Science Association. Part I: Contributed Papers , December 2003 , pp. 1206 - 1218
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

‡

I would like to thank David Albert and David Malament for conversations on the status of quantum mechanics and relativity and Craig Callendar for comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

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