Laws of Nature

John Carroll undertakes a careful philosophical examination of laws of nature, causation, and other related topics.

John W. Carroll (Author)

9780521064132, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 5 June 2008

216 pages, 9 b/w illus.
21.6 x 14 x 1.3 cm, 0.284 kg

"Anyone who is interested in the metaphysics of laws of nature should find Carroll's book stimulating and worthwhile." Michael Tooley, The Philosophical Review

John Carroll undertakes a careful philosophical examination of laws of nature, causation, and other related topics. He argues that laws of nature are not susceptible to the sort of philosophical treatment preferred by empiricists. Indeed he shows that emperically pure matters of fact need not even determine what the laws are. Similar, even stronger, conclusions are drawn about causation. Replacing the traditional view of laws and causation requiring some kind of foundational legitimacy, the author argues that these phenomena are inextricably intertwined with everything else. This distinctively clear and detailed discussion of what it is to be a law will be valuable to a broad swathe of philosophers in metaphysics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of science.

Acknowledgements
1. Centrality
2. Humean analyses
3. Humean supervenience
4. A realist perspective
5. Causation
6. The limits of inquiry
Appendix A: nomic platonism
Appendix B: defending (SC)
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Philosophy of science [PDA], Social & political philosophy [HPS]