Abstract
One of the most fascinating problems for the philosopher posed by the corpus of statistical physics is the issue of the consistency problem which arises in both the classical and the quantum contexts. It arises starkly in classical statistical physics, there it is the issue of precisely how it is possible to add probabilistic assumptions to treat of an aggregate motion, the component submotions of which, being governed by the laws of mechanics, are entirely deterministic. Essentially the problem occurs because one of the two theories we want to employ viz. mechanics is a completely general theory, that is it ought to give a complete description of any physical situation to which it applies, hence if we put them together the suspicion must be that they will overdetermine the history of the physical system under consideration and inconsistency will result.1
The author gratefully acknowledges the support provided by a Leverhulme Research Fellowship, during which this article was produced.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
J.C. Maxwell: ‘Illustrations of the Dynamical theory of gases’. In: The Scientific papers of James Clerk Maxwell, ed. W.D. Niven (Dover Publications, New York 1965) pp. 377–409
L. Boltzmann: ‘Weitere Studien über das Wärmegleichgewicht unter Gasmolek ülen’ Wien.Ber. 66, 275 (1872)
L. Sklar: Physics and Chance (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1993)
K.R. Popper: The Logic of Scientific Discovery, sixth revised impression of the 1959 English translation (Hutchinson, London 1972)
K.R. Popper: ‘The Propensity interpretation of the Calculus of probability, and the Quantum theory’. In: Observation and Interpretation, Proceedings of the Ninth Colston Research Society, (University of Bristol, Bristol1957) pp. 65–70,88-9.
K.R. Popper: ‘The Propensity Interpretation of Probability, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. 10, 25–42 (1959)
K.R. Popper: The Quantum theory and the Schism in Physics (Hutchinson, London 1982)
K.R. Popper: Realism and the Aim of Science (Hutchinson, London 1983)
K.R. Popper: A World of Propensities (Thoemmes press, Bristol 1990)
D. Miller: Critical Rationalism: A Restatement and Defence (Open Court, Chicago and Lasalle 1994)
D. Miller: ‘Propensities and Indeterminism’. In: Karl Popper: Philosophy and Problems, ed. by A. O’Hear (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1996) pp. 121–47
M. Redhead: ‘Popper and the Quantum theory’ In: Karl Popper: Philosophy and Problems, ed. by A. O’Hear (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1996) pp. 163–176
R. Von Mises: Probability Statistics and Truth, 2nd English edn. (George and Alan Unwin, London 1961)
D. Gillies: ‘Varieties of Propensity’ British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. 52 (2000)
A.N. Kolmogorov: Foundations of the Theory of Probability, 2nd English edn. (Chelsea, New York 1956)
K.R. Popper: The Open Universe: An argument for Indeterminism (Hutchinson, London 1982)
A.N. Kolmogorov: ‘Über die analytischen Methoden in der Wahrscheinlichkeitsrechnung’ Mathematische Annalen 104, 415–458 (1931)
W.C. Salmon: Causality and Explanation (Oxford University Press, Oxford and New York 1998)
R.C. Montague: ‘Deterministic Theories’. In: Formal Philosophy, Selected Papers ed. by R.H. Thomason (Yale University press, New Haven 1974), pp. 303–359
J. Earman: A Primer on Determinism (D. Reidel, Dordrecht 1986)
W.C. Salmon: ‘Propensities a Discussion Review’ Erkenntnis. 14, 183–216 (1979)
P. Humphreys: ‘Why Propensities Cannot Be Probabilities’ Philosophical Review. 94, 557–70 (1985)
D. Miller: ‘Single-Case Probabilities’ Foundations of Physics. 21, 1501–16 (1991)
C.S.I. McCurdy: ‘Humphreys Paradox’ Synthese. 108, 105–125 (1996)
P. Milne: ‘Can there be a Realist single Case Interpretation of Probability?’ Erkenntnis. 25, 129–32 (1986)
D. Gillies: ‘Popper’s Contribution to the Theory of Probability’ In: Karl Popper: Philosophy and Problems, ed. by A. O’Hear (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1996) pp. 103–120.
P. Milne: ‘A Note on Popper, Propensities and the Two Slit experiment’ British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. 36, 66–70 (1987)
L. Boltzmann: ‘Bemerkungen über einige Probleme der mechanischen Wärmetheorie’ Wien.Ber. 75, 62 (1877)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2001 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Clark, P.J. (2001). Statistical Mechanics and the Propensity Interpretation of Probability. In: Bricmont, J., Ghirardi, G., Dürr, D., Petruccione, F., Galavotti, M.C., Zanghi, N. (eds) Chance in Physics. Lecture Notes in Physics, vol 574. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-44966-3_21
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-44966-3_21
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-42056-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-44966-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive