The Ashgate Companion to Contemporary Philosophy of Physics

Edited by Dean Rickles; chapters by David Wallace (quantum mechanics), Chris Timpson (quantum information), Roman Frigg (statistical mechanics), and Dean Rickles (quantum gravity)

Synopsis

Introducing the reader to the very latest developments in the philosophical foundations of physics, this book covers advanced material at a level suitable for beginner and intermediate students. A detailed overview is provided of the central debates in the philosophy of quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, quantum computation, and quantum gravity.

Each chapter consists of a 'state of the art' review written by a specialist in the field and introduces the reader to the relevant formal aspects along with the philosophical implications. These, and the various interpretive options, are developed in a self-contained, clear, and concise manner. Special care is given to situating the reader within the contemporary debates by providing numerous references and readings. This book will thus enable both philosophers and physicists to engage with the most pressing problems in contemporary philosophy of physics in a fruitful way.

My chapter

• Quantum Mechanics (more here)

Reviews

• Review (requires subscription), Joshua Norton, Heythrop Journal 52 (2011) pp. 304-305
• Review (requires subscription), Eleanor Knox, International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 25 (2011) pp 199-202.
• "A Package of Positions in The Philosophy of Physics", Jonathan Bain, Metascience 18 (2009) pp. 485-89.
• Review, Ian James Kidd, Philosophy in Review 30 (2010) pp 212-214.