Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Non-governing Law Solutions to Ideal Laws

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Idealization and the Laws of Nature

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Philosophy ((BRIEFSPHILOSOPH))

Abstract

Chapter 3 investigates the potential for a theory of the metaphysics of ideal laws based around non-governing conceptions of lawhood. Three existing approaches are discussed: Lewis’ best system account and Schrenk’s so-called ‘better best system account’; Unterhuber’s theory of laws as generics, and the inference-ticket view, advocated by some logical empiricists such as Schlick and Toulmin. It is argued that a combination of the best system account and the inference-ticket view offers the best hope for a theory of ideal laws.

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

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight 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

  • Armstrong, D. 1983. What is a law of nature?. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Asher, N., and F. Pelletier. 2012. More truths about generic truth. In Genericity, ed. A. Mari, C. Beyssade, and F. Prete, 313–333. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ayer, A.J. 1956. What is a law of nature? Revue Internationale de Philosophie 10 (36): 144–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker, G., and J. Blackburn. 2005. The pendulum: A case study in physics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boss, A. 2006. Ask Astro Astronomy 30 (10): 70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Braithwaite, R. 1953. Scientific Explanation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Britannica, T.E. (17 Nov 2009). Kepler’s laws of planetary motion. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/science/Keplers-laws-of-planetary-motion.

  • Callender, C., and C. Cohen. 2010. Special sciences, conspiracy and the better best system account of laws. Erkenntnis 73: 427–447.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carnap, R. 1950. Logical foundations of probability. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cavedon, L., and S. Glasbey. (1994). Outline of an information-flow model of generics. Acta Linguistica Hungarica, 4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chierchia, G. 1995. Individual level predicates as inherent generics. In The generic book, ed. G. Carlson and F. Pelletier, 176–224. Chicago: Chicago university Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, A. 2004. Generics and mental representation. Linguistics and Philosophy 27 (5): 529–556.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, A. 1999. Generics, frequency adverbs and probability. Linguistics and Philosophy 22 (3): 221–253.

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Declerk, R. 1986. The Manifold interpretations of generic sentences. Lingua 68: 149–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Declerk, R. 1991. The origins of genericity. Linguistics 29 (1): 79–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delgrande, J. 1987. A first-order conditional logic for prototypical properties. Artificial Intelligence 30: 105–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delgrande, J. 1998. On first-order conditional logics. Artificial Intelligence 105: 105–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Earman, J. 1984. Laws of Nature: The Empiricist Challenge. In D. M. Armstrong, edited by R. J Bogden, 191-223. Dordrecht: Reidel.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Fraassen, B. 1989. Laws and Symmetry. Oxford: Clarenden Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geurts, B. 1985. Generics. Journal of Semantics 4 (3): 247–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, N. 1954. Fact, fiction and forecast. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, Y. 2003. Manifestations of genericity. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hempel, C. 1965. Aspects of scientific explanation. New york: The Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heyer, G. 1985. Generic descriptions, default reasoning, and typicality. Theoretical Linguistics 12 (1): 33–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heyer, G. 1990. Semantics and knowledge representation in the analysis of generic descriptions. Journal of Semantics 7: 93–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, C., and G. Bakos. 2014. Testing the Titius-Bode law predictions for Kepler multi-planet systems. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 442: 674.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lange, M. 1993. Natural laws and the problem of provisos. Erkenntnis 38 (2): 233–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lange, M. 2000. Natural laws in scientific practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, A., and S. Leslie. 2016. Generics and Experimental Philosophy. In A companion to experimental philosophy, ed. W. Buckwalter and J. Sytsma, 404–416. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leslie, S. 2008. Generics: Cognition and acquisition. Philosophical Review 117 (1): 1–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, D. 1973. Counterfactuals. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, D. 1986. Causation. In Philosophical papers, vol. II, ed. D. Lews, 159–213. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, D. 1994. Humean supervenience debugged. Mind 103 (412): 473–490.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, D. 1983. New work for a theory of universals. Australasian Journal of Philosophy 61 (4): 343–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loewer, B. 1996. Humean Supervenience. Philosophical Topics 24 (1): 101–127

    Google Scholar 

  • McAllister, J. 1997. Phenomena and patterns in data sets. Erkenntnis 47 (2): 217–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mill, J.S. 1895. A system of logic. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Musgrave, A. 1980. Wittgensteinian instrumentalism. Theoria, XLVI 2–3: 65–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagel, E. 1956. Logic Without metaphysics. Glencoe: The Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, R., and M. Olsson. 1986. The pendulum—Rich physics from a simple system. American Journal of Physics 54 (2): 112–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nickel, B. 2010. Ceteris paribus laws: Generics and natural kinds. Philosopher’s Imprint 10 (6): 1–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nunberg, G., and C. Pan. 1975. Inferring quantification in generic sentences. Papers from the eleventh regional meeting of the Chicago linguistic society, 412–422. Chicago: Chicago Linguistic Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pelletier, F., and N. Asher. 1997. Generics and defaults. In Handbook of logic and language, ed. J. van Benthem and A. Meulen, 1125–1177. New York: Academic Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Platteau, F. 1980. Definite and indefinite generics. In The semantics of determiners, ed. J. van der Auwera, 112–123. London: Croom Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Psillos, S. 2002. Causation and explanation. Stocksfield: Acumen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramsey, F. 1927. Facts and propositions. Aristotelian Society Supplementary 7: 153–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reichenbach, H. 1947. Elements of symbolic logic. New York: The Macmillan Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryle, G. 1949. The concept of mind. London: Hutchinsons Universal Library.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlick, M. (1931/1978). Causality in contemporary physics. In The philosophical papers of Moritz Schlick, ed. H. Hulder, and B. Schlick, vol. 1, pp. 176–209. London: Reidel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schrenk, M. 2007. The metaphysics of Ceteris Paribus laws. Lancaster: Ontos-Verlag.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Schrenk, M. 2014. Better best systems and the issue of CP laws. Erkenntnis 79 (S10): 1787–1799.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schubert, K., and F. Pelletier. 1987. Problems in representing the logical form of generics, bare plurals, and mass terms. In New directions in semantics, pp. 385–451. London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sterken, R. 2015. Generics in context. Philosopher’s Imprint 15 (21): 1–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • ter Meulen, A. 1986. Generic information, conditional contexts and constraints. In On conditionals, ed. E. Traugott, A. ter Meulen, J. Reilly, and C. Ferguson, 123–146. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Toulmin, S. 1953. The philosophy of science. London: Hutchinson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Unterhuber, M. 2014. Do Ceteris Paribus laws exist? A regularity-based best systems analysis. Erkenntnis 79: 1833–1847.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wittgenstein, L. 1922. Tractatus logico-philosophicus. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, J. 2014. Simplicity in the best systems account of laws of nature. The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 65 (1): 91–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China

    Billy Wheeler

Authors
  1. Billy Wheeler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Billy Wheeler .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Wheeler, B. (2018). Non-governing Law Solutions to Ideal Laws. In: Idealization and the Laws of Nature. SpringerBriefs in Philosophy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99564-9_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation