Abstract
There have been attempts to derive anti-haeccetistic conclusions from the fact that quantum mechanics (QM) appeals to non-standard statistics. Since in fact QM acknowledges two kinds of such statistics, Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac, I argue that we could in the same vein derive the sharper anti-haeccetistic conclusion that bosons are bundles of tropes and fermions are bundles of universals. Moreover, since standard statistics is still appropriate at the macrolevel, we could also venture to say that no anti-haecceitistic conclusion is warranted for ordinary objects, which could then tentatively be identified with substrates. In contrast to this, however, there has been so far no acknowledgement of the possibility of inclusivism, according to which ontological accounts of particulars as widely different as those can possibly coexist in one world picture. The success of the different statistics in physics at least calls for a revision in this respect.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
D. Armstrong (1978) Nominalism and Realism and Universals and Scientific Realism, 2 volumes Cambridge University Press Cambridge
D. Armstrong (1989) Universals, An Opinionated Introduction Westview London
D. Armstrong (1997) A World of States of Affairs Cambridge University Press Cambridge
G. Bealer (1982) Quality and Concept Oxford University press London
H.-N. Castañeda (1990) ‘Intentionality, Modality and Supervenience’ M. J. Hoven Particlevan den G. J. C. Lokhorst (Eds) Rotterdamse Filosofische Studies XIII Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam
E. Castellani (Eds) (1998) Interpreting Bodies, Classical and Quantum Objects in Modern Physics Princeton University Press Princeton
R. Chisholm (1989) On Metaphysics University of Minnesota Press Minneapolis
J. Dupré (1993) The Disorder of Things: Metaphysical Foundations of The Disunity of Science Harvard University press Cambridge
R. P. Feynman R. B. Leighton M. Sands (1965) The Feynman Lecures in Physics, Vol. 3: Quantum Mechanics Addison-Wesley Reading, MA
B. L. Gordon (2002) ArticleTitle‘Maxwell-Boltzmann Statistics and The Metaphysics of Modality’ Synthese 133 397–417 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1021360805193
R. C. Hilborn C. L. Yuca (2002) ArticleTitle‘Identical particles in Quantum Mechanics Revisited’ British Journal for the Philosophy of Scienc 53 355–389
T. Horgan (1982) ArticleTitle‘Supervenience and Microphysics’ Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 63 29–43
N. Huggett (1997) ArticleTitle‘Identity, Quantum Mechanics and Common Sense’ The Monist 80 IssueID1 118–130
N. Huggett (1999) ArticleTitle‘Atomic Metaphysics’ Journal of Philosophy 96 5–24
R. I. G. Hughes (1989) The Structure and Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics Harvard University Press Cambridge, MA
J. Kim (1987) ArticleTitle‘ “Strong” and “Global” Supervenience Revisited’ Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 47 315–326
D. Lewis (1986) On The Plurality of Worlds Blackwell Oxford
M. Loux (1998) Metaphysics, a Contemporary Introduction Routledge London
P. Mittelstaedt (1986) ‘Naming and Identity in Quantum logic’ P. Weingartner G. Dorn (Eds) Foundations of Physics Hölder-Pichler-Tempsky Vienna 139–161
R. Penrose (1989) The Emperor’s New Mind Oxford University Press Oxford
H. Putnam (1975) Mathematics, Matter and Method, Philosophical Papers NumberInSeriesVol. I Cambridge University Press Cambridge
H. Putnam (1983) Realism nd Reason, Philosophical Papers NumberInSeriesVol. III Cambridge University Press Cambridge
W. V. O. Quine (1953) From a Logical Point of View Harvard University Press Cambridge, MA
M. Redhead P. Teller (1991) ArticleTitle‘Particles, Particle Labels and Quanta: The Toll of Unacknowledged Metaphysics’ Foundations of Physics 21 43–62 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF01883562
M. Redhead P. Teller (1992) ArticleTitle‘Particle Labels and The Theory of Indistinguishable Particles in Quantum Mechanics’ British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 43 201–218
H. Reichenbach (1957) The Philosophy of Space and Time Dover New York
P. Simons (1994) ArticleTitle‘Particulars in Particular Clothing: Three Trope Theories of Substance’ Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 54 IssueID3 553–575
A. Stairs (1998) ‘Quantum Mechanics, Interpretations of’ E. Craig (Eds) Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy NumberInSeriesVol. 7 Routledge London 890–895
P. Teller (1998) ‘Quantum Mechanics and Haecceities’ E. Castellani (Eds) Interpreting Bodies, Classical and Quantum Objects in Modern Physics Princeton University Press Princeton 114–141
D. ter Haar (1995) Elements of Mechanical Statistics EditionNumber3 Butterworth-Heinemann Oxford
B. Fraassen Particlevan (1984) ‘The Problem of Indistinguishable Particles’ J. T. Cushing C. F. Delaney G. M. Gutting (Eds) Science and Reality, Recent Works in the Philosophy of Science University of Notre Dame Press Notre Dame, IN 153–172
B. Fraassen Particlevan (1991) Quantum Mechanics, an Empiricist View Clarendon Press London
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Orilia, F. Quantum-mechanical Statistics and the Inclusivist Approach to the Nature of Particulars. Synthese 148, 57–77 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-004-6216-4
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-004-6216-4