Five Sources of Contingency for Dispositionalism

Metaphysica ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-30
Author(s):  
Michele Paolini Paoletti
Keyword(s):  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Dispositional Essentialism ◽  
Contingent Existence

AbstractLaw dispositionalism is the doctrine according to which laws of nature are grounded on powers/dispositions. In this article, I shall examine how certain laws of nature can turn out to be contingent on this view. First of all, I shall distinguish between two versions of law dispositionalism (i. e. a weak and a strong one) and I shall also single out two further theses that may be conjoined with it (i. e. strong and weak dispositional essentialism). I shall also single out four different sorts of laws of nature. Afterwards, I shall examine five sources of contingency for law dispositionalism: the contingent existence of the relevant entities involved in the laws; the contigent activation, background and possession conditions of the powers at stake; the presence of contingent constants in the laws; the presence of indeterministic powers; the presence of powers that are not essential to the entities involved in the laws.

scholarly journals Varieties of dispositional essentialism about natural laws

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salim Hirèche
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Laws ◽  
Relative Position ◽  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Important Task ◽  
Natural Laws ◽  
Natural Entities ◽  
The World ◽  
Dispositional Essentialism ◽  
Modal Force ◽  
Internal Comparison

AbstractAn important task for metaphysicians and philosophers of science is to account for laws of nature – in particular, how they distinguish themselves from ‘mere’ regularities, and the modal force they are endowed with, ‘natural necessity’. Dispositional essentialism about laws (for short: ‘essentialism’) is roughly the view that laws distinguish themselves by being grounded in the essences of natural entities (e.g. kinds, properties). This paper does not primarily concern how essentialism compares to its main rivals – Humeanism and Armstrongeanism. Rather, it distinguishes and comparatively assesses various brands of essentialism – which mainly differ as to where exactly they take laws to find their essentialist sources (e.g. in particular entities, like electrons, or in larger pluralities of entities, or in the world as a whole), and what they take to be the targets of laws, namely what they apply to. Yet, this internal comparison is not unrelated to the more general debate about laws: the main criteria with which I compare these essentialist views concern how they can deal with some of the main objections faced by essentialism in general (the modal status it typically attributes to laws, which some think is too strong; and its alleged incapacity to account for the most 'general' laws, like conservation laws), and how they can keep what is arguably the main intuitive advantage of essentialism over its rivals (the fact that, on this view, things “govern themselves”). Thus, the paper also concerns the relative position of essentialism in the larger debate about laws – ultimately bringing support to it.

Laws of Nature

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
John T. Roberts
Keyword(s):  
System Analysis ◽  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Philosophical Problem ◽  
Ceteris Paribus ◽  
Ceteris Paribus Laws ◽  
Dispositional Essentialism

Scientists (and scientifically literate laypersons) regard certain regularities or uniformities in the course of nature—but not others—as laws of nature; the ones they regard as laws they allow to play a distinguished role in explanation and in evaluating counterfactuals. The philosophical problem about laws is: What laws of nature could be such that this would be a reasonable and fruitful way for scientists to proceed? This article explores the major current philosophical theories of laws, including dispositional essentialism and the best-system analysis. It also explores several major questions about laws, including the question of their modal status, nomic necessity, the question of Humeanism, the question of hedged laws (i.e., ceteris paribus laws), and the question of governing.

scholarly journals Reconsidering the Dispositional Essentialist Canon

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Kimpton-Nye
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Dispositional Essentialism

AbstractDispositional Essentialism is a unified anti-Humean account of the metaphysics of low-level physical properties and laws of nature. In this paper, I articulate the view that I label Canonical Dispositional Essentialism (CDE), which comprises a structuralist metaphysics of properties and an account of laws as relations in the property structure. I then present an alternative anti-Humean account of properties and laws (still somewhat in the dispositional essentialist spirit). This account rejects CDE’s structuralist metaphysics of properties in favour of a view of properties as qualitative grounds of dispositions and it rejects CDE’s view of laws as relations in favour of a view of laws as features of an efficient description of possible property distributions. I then defend this view over CDE on the grounds that it can overcome an explanatory shortcoming of CDE and that it achieves a level of continuity with science that CDE fails to achieve. The upshot of this paper is a significant narrowing of the range of possibilities in which the absolutely best unified account of laws and properties resides.

GENERATION AND PROPERTIES OF INFRARED RADIATION

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-137
Author(s):  
RUSTAM KHAKIMOVICH RAKHIMOV
Keyword(s):  
Electromagnetic Radiation ◽  
Infrared Radiation ◽  
Radiation Spectrum ◽  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Ceramic Materials ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Ir Radiation ◽  
Scattering Of Light

The article presents the main basic laws of nature and modern theories of the nature of electromagnetic radiation, its generation, characteristics, and laws of reflection, absorption and scattering of light. The principle of transformation of the radiation spectrum of the primary source using the developed ceramic materials are shown, as well as experimental results of the interaction of IR radiation with matter and various mechanisms of influence on various objects and processes are described.

INEVITABILITY OF REVIVAL: PRO AND COUNTER ANTINATALISM

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-88
Author(s):  
Nikolay S. Savkin
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Systematic Approach ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Arthur Schopenhauer ◽  
Expected Effect ◽  
Philosophy Of Life ◽  
Active Subject ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Natural Way

Introduction. Radical pessimism and militant anti-natalism of Arthur Schopenhauer and David Benathar create an optimistic philosophy of life, according to which life is not meaningless. It is given by nature in a natural way, and a person lives, studies, works, makes a career, achieves results, grows, develops. Being an active subject of his own social relations, a person does not refuse to continue the race, no matter what difficulties, misfortunes and sufferings would be experienced. Benathar convinces that all life is continuous suffering, and existence is constant dying. Therefore, it is better not to be born. Materials and Methods. As the main theoretical and methodological direction of research, the dialectical materialist and integrative approaches are used, the realization of which, in conjunction with the synergetic technique, provides a certain result: is convinced that the idea of anti-natalism is inadequate, the idea of giving up life. A systematic approach and a comprehensive assessment of the studied processes provide for the disclosure of the contradictory nature of anti-natalism. Results of the study are presented in the form of conclusions that human life is naturally given by nature itself. Instincts, needs, interests embodied in a person, stimulate to active actions, and he lives. But even if we finish off with all of humanity by agreement, then over time, according to the laws of nature and according to evolutionary theory, man will inevitably, objectively, and naturally reappear. Discussion and Conclusion. The expected effect of the idea of inevitability of rebirth can be the formation of an optimistic orientation of a significant part of the youth, the idea of continuing life and building happiness, development. As a social being, man is universal, and the awareness of this universality allows one to understand one’s purpose – continuous versatile development.

A ciência e a superação das desigualdades

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-74
Author(s):  
Galileu Galilei Medeiros de Souza
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Science ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
Scientific Activity ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Isaac Newton ◽  
Positive Science ◽  
Popular View ◽  
Science Philosophy

Resumo: O artigo é um ensaio sobre como a atividade científica poderia ser influenciada por uma proposta ética voltada para a superação das desigualdades. A questão subjacente a este estudo tematiza a possível contraposição entre a ética, que parece ser inteiramente vinculada à liberdade humana e seus processos de escolha, e a lógica da pesquisa científica, que ainda, pelo menos em visão popular, parece se basear na posse de informações objetivas e na descoberta de leis de regulação da natureza. Será feita uma breve contextualização das aquisições teóricas sobre o sentido da ciência positiva dos últimos séculos, procurando extrair daí as indicações de uma estreita dependência dessa em relação às escolhas humanas, em virtude de sua metodologia dialética.   Palavras-Chave: Ciência positiva. Filosofia da ciência. Dialética. Ética.      Abstract: The article is an essay on how scientific activity could be influenced by an ethics proposal aimed at overcoming inequalities. The question underlying this study discusses the possible contrast between ethics, which seems to be entirely linked to human freedom and choice processes, and the logic of scientific research, which still, at least in a popular view, seems to be based on possession of objective information and discovery of regulatory laws of nature. Will be presented a brief background of theoretical acquisitions on the meaning of positive science of the last centuries, looking to extract the indications of a close dependence of this in relation to human choices, because your dialectic methodology.  Keywords: Positive Science. Philosophy of Science. Dialectic. Ethics. REFERÊNCIASARISTÓTELES, Tópicos. In: _______. Órganon. 2.ed. São Paulo: EDIPRO, 2010, p. 347-543.BLONDEL, M. L’Action (1893): essai d’une critique de la vie et d’une science de la pratique, Paris: Quadrige, 1993.CARNAP, R. A superação da metafísica por meio da análise lógica da linguagem. In: Cognitio, São Paulo, v. 10, n. 2, jul./dez. 2009, p. 293-309.DESCARTES, R. Discurso do Método. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2001.DILTHEY, W. Introdução às ciências humanas. Rio de Janeiro: Forense, 2010.FANNING, P. A. Isaac Newton e a transmutação da alquimia: uma visão alternativa da revolução científica. Balneário Camboriú (SC): Livraria Danúbio, 2016.GALILEI, G. Edizione Nazionale delle Opere di Galileo Galilei. Antonio Favaro (ed.) Florença: Barbéra, 1928-38, 19 Vols.HESSE, Mary. Revolutions and Reconstruction in Philosophy of Science. Brighton, 1980.HUME, D. Investigações sobre o entendimento humano. In: BERKELEY, G.; HUME, D. Tratado sobre os princípios do conhecimento humano; Três diálogos entre Hilas e Filonous em oposição aos Céticos e Ateus; Investigação sobre o entendimento humano; Ensaios morais, políticos e literários. São Paulo: Abril Cultural, 1978.KUHN, T. La strututtura delle rivoluzioni scientifiche. Torino: [s.n], 1978.LEVINAS, E. Totalité et Infini. [sl]: The Hague, 1971.MACINTYRE, A. Dopo la virtù: Saggio di teoria morale. Milano: Feltrino, 1988.NEIMAN, S. O mal no pensamento moderno: uma história alternativa da filosofia. Rio de Janeiro: DIFEL, 2003.NIETZSCHE, F. Assim falou Zaratustra. 2.ed., Petrópolis: Vozes, 2008.ORTEGA Y GASSET, J. O que é Filosofia? Campinas: Vide Editorial, 2016.PAGANI, S.M.; Luciani, A. (org.) Os Documentos do Processo de Galileu Galilei. Petrópolis: Vozes, 1994.PLATÃO. Teeteto. Tradução de Edson Bini, Bauru/SP: EDIPRO, 2007.POPPER. K. A lógica da descoberta científica. São Paulo: Cultrix, 2001.WHITE, M. O grande livro das coisas horríveis: a crônica definitiva da história das 100 piores atrocidades. Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, 2013. 

COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH OF THE DECISION EXISTING PROBLEMS OF PROTECTION AND STABILIZATION OF WATER AND SOIL RESOURCES IN AZERBAIJAN

2020 ◽  
pp. 7-10
Author(s):  
Aliyev Z.H.
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Soil Resources ◽  
Existing Problems ◽  
Development Methods

The article considers the issues of solving the problems of the development of the erosive danger of soil in Azerbaijan, which is why it should be understood that the human mind is unable to change the force of nature, but can only learn and correctly use the laws of nature, use the acting natural force and improve the ways of controlling them. At the same time, in the process of development, methods are struggling with soil erosion in the first stage, which is necessary for studying the causes of occurrence and patterns in its development

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document