Symmetry, Structure, and Spacetime

What is physics about? The existence of gauge symmetry in physical theories spoils a nice simple answer to this question since it leads to multiple interpretive options depending on how the symmetry is dealt with. The ubiquity of such symmetries in modern physics makes their ontological implications an urgent matter for philosophers of physics. In this book Dean Rickles argues against the orthodox wisdom about what these implications are. In particular, it is argued that the methods of dealing with the symmetries to not correspond to traditional ontological divisions, between substantivalism and relationalism for example. Rather, there is an underdetermination of metaphysical by physics. Rickles traces this underdetermination through a series of physical theories, from quantum statistics to quantum gravity. On its basis he defends a structuralist account according to which, in these cases, it is relational structure that physics is about.Rickles, Dean is the author of 'Symmetry, Structure, and Spacetime' with ISBN 9780444531162 and ISBN 0444531165.