Theory Reduction and Holism

2014 ◽  
pp. 185-201
Author(s):  
Raphael van Riel
Keyword(s):  
Dialogue ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 475-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Kernohan

In what follows I will sketch a very simple possible-world semantics which will allow us to sharpen the notion of a non-reductive, but materialist, mind-body identity theory. This simple semantics will enable us to characterize the various possible positions on mind-body identity and display the range of positions with respect to psycho-physical reduction. Though I am sympathetic to a non-reductive position which I label “autonomous monism”, I will be concerned here less with presenting positive arguments for that position than with describing a framework in which such arguments can be made and pointing out the issues that the position raises. The discussion achieves its abstract viewpoint at the cost of slightly idealizing the process of theory reduction, but the overview attained is worth the price.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Corvilain

Abstract We show that the pure gauge anomalies of 6d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = (1, 0) theories compactified on a circle are captured by field-dependent Chern-Simons terms appearing at one-loop in the 5d effective theories. These terms vanish if and only if anomalies are canceled. In order to obtain this result, it is crucial to integrate out the massive Kaluza-Klein modes in a way that preserves 6d Lorentz invariance; the often-used zeta-function regularization is not sufficient. Since such field-dependent Chern-Simons terms do not arise in the reduction of M-theory on a threefold, six-dimensional F-theory compactifications are automatically anomaly free, whenever the M/F-duality can be used. A perfect match is then found between the 5d $$ \mathcal{N} $$ N = 1 prepotentials of the classical M-theory reduction and one-loop circle compactification of an anomaly free theory. Finally, from this potential, we read off the quantum corrections to the gauge coupling functions.


Synthese ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 195 (11) ◽  
pp. 5059-5089 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D’Alessandro
Keyword(s):  

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