Skip to main content

Structural Realism and the Standard Model

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Philosophers Look at Quantum Mechanics

Part of the book series: Synthese Library ((SYLI,volume 406))

  • 523 Accesses

Abstract

The Standard Model of elementary particle physics is one of the best theories that we currently have and thereby invites realist engagement. Adopting a realist stance towards it involves careful consideration of the nature of the symmetries that it incorporates. Here I begin with such a consideration and argue that it leads us to a form of structural realism that, following Cassirer might be called ‘Parmenidean’. I conclude with some thoughts on how this meshes with ‘local’ forms of realism.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Baker, D. J., Halvorson, H., & Swanson, N. (2015). The conventionality of parastatistics. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 66, 929–976.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bangu, S. (2012). The applicability of mathematics in science: Indispensability and ontology. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bird, A. (2007). Nature’s metaphysics: Laws and properties. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Brading, K., & Brown, H. R. (2003). Symmetries and Noether’s theorems. In K. Brading & E. Castellani (Eds.), Symmetries in physics: Philosophical reflections (pp. 89–109). Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Brading, K., & Castellani, E. (2008) Symmetry and symmetry breaking. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Edward N. Zalta (ed.). http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2008/entries/symmetry-breaking/.

  • Brown, H., & Holland, P. (2004). Dynamical versus variational symmetries: Understanding Noether’s first theorem. Molecular Physics, 102, 1133–1139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bueno, O., & French, S. (2018). Applying mathematics: Immersion, inference and interpretation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Cassirer, E. (1936/1956). Determinismus und Indeterminismus in der Modernen Physik. Göteborgs Högskolas Årsskrift 42. Translated as Determinism and Indeterminism in Modern Physics. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1956.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cei, A., & French, S. (2014). Getting away from governance: Laws, symmetries and objects. Méthode – Analytic Perspectives, 3. https://doi.org/10.13135/2281-0498%2F4

  • Cohen, J., & Callender, C. (2009). A better best system account of lawhood. Philosophical Studies, 145, 1–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cordero, A. (2001). Realism and underdetermination: Some clues from the practices-up. Philosophy of Science, S68(2001), 301–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Esfeld, M. (2015). Review of The structure of the world. Mind, 124, 334–338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Esfeld, M., Lazarovici, D., Hubert, M., & Dürr, D. (2014). The ontology of Bohmian mechanics. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 65, 773–796.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • French, S. (1995). The esperable uberty of quantum chromodynamics. Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 26, 87–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • French, S. (2001). Quantum physics and the ontology of structures. In Physis: Proceedings of the IVth International Ontology Congress (A tribute to John Bell), San Sebastian, pp. 175–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • French, S. (2002). A phenomenological approach to the measurement problem: Husserl and the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics. Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 22, 467–491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • French, S. (2003). Scribbling on the blank sheet: Eddington’s structuralist conception of objects. Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 34, 227–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • French, S. (2006). Structure as a weapon of the realist. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 106, 167–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • French, S. (2014). The structure of the world. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • French, S. (Forthcoming). Doing away with dispositions: Powers in the context of modern physics. In A. S. Meincke (Ed.), Dispositionalism: Perspectives from metaphysics and the philosophy of science. Springer Synthese Library, Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • French, S., & Krause, D. (2006). Identity in physics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • French, S., & McKenzie, K. (2012). Thinking outside the (tool)box: Towards a more productive engagement between metaphysics and philosophy of physics’ with K. McKenzie. The European Journal of Analytic Philosophy, 8, 42–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • French, S., & Ladyman, J. (2011). In defence of ontic structural realism. In A. Bokulich & P. Bokulich (Eds.), Scientific structuralism (pp. 25–42). Dordrecth: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • French, S., & Saatsi, J. (2018). Symmetries and explanatory dependencies. In J. Saatsi & A. Reutlinger (Eds.), Explanation beyond causation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, W. E. (1921, 1922, 1924). Logic (Vol. 1: 1921; vol. 2: 1922; vol. 3 1924). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press for the hypertext version see http://www.ditext.com/johnson/toc.html

  • Ladyman, J. (2016). In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), Structural realism. The Stanford Encyclopedia of philosophy (Winter 2016 ed.). URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2016/entries/structuralrealism/.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ladyman, J., & Ross, D. (2007). Every thing must go: Metaphysics naturalized. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lange, M. (2007). Laws and meta-laws of nature: Conservation laws and symmetries. Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 38(457–481), 457–481.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lange, M. (2009). Laws and lawmakers: Science, metaphysics, and the laws of nature. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lange, M. (2012). There sweep great general principles which all the laws seem to follow. In K. Bennett & D. Zimmerman (Eds.), Oxford studies in metaphysics (Vol. 7, pp. 154–185). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lowe, E. J. (2005). Ontological dependence. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Edward N. Zalta (ed.). http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2010/entries/dependence-ontological/.

  • McKenzie, K. (2014). On the fundamentality of symmetries. Philosophy of Science, 81, 1090–1102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Post, H. R. (1971) (1971 [1993]). Correspondence, invariance and Heuristics. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 2, 213–255; reprinted In S. French & H. Kamminga (Eds.), Correspondence, invariance and Heuristics: Essays in honour of heinz post. (Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science 148), Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Press (1993), 1–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Psillos, S. (2006). What do powers do when they are not manifested? Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 72, 135–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saatsi, J. (2016). Replacing recipe realism. Synthese, First Online. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s11229-015-0962-3.

  • Wallace, D. (2012). The emergent multiverse. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, J. (2012). Fundamental determinables. Philosophers Imprint 12. http://www.philosophersimprint.org/012004/.

  • Wolff, J. (2011). Do objects depend on structures? British Journal for the Philosophy of Science., 63, 607–625. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjps/axr041.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worrall, J. (1989). Structural realism: The best of both worlds? Dialectica 43: 99–124; reprinted In D. Papineau (Ed.), The philosophy of science. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 139–165.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steven French .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

French, S. (2019). Structural Realism and the Standard Model. In: Cordero, A. (eds) Philosophers Look at Quantum Mechanics. Synthese Library, vol 406. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15659-6_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics