Philosophy and the Foundations of Dynamics

Examines the main theories of dynamics, their original inception and their evolution over time into contemporary foundational theories.

Lawrence Sklar (Author)

9780521888196, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 29 November 2012

279 pages
25.4 x 17.8 x 1.8 cm, 0.72 kg

'This work could be as influential in the 21st century as Ernst Mach's Die Mechanik (1901) was in the 20th, both in physics and philosophy … Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers/faculty.' P. D. Skiff, Choice

Although now replaced by more modern theories, classical mechanics remains a core foundational element of physical theory. From its inception, the theory of dynamics has been riddled with conceptual issues and differing philosophical interpretations and throughout its long historical development, it has shown subtle conceptual refinement. The interpretive program for the theory has also shown deep evolutionary change over time. Lawrence Sklar discusses crucial issues in the central theory from which contemporary foundational theories are derived and shows how some core issues (the nature of force, the place of absolute reference frames) have nevertheless remained deep puzzles despite the increasingly sophisticated understanding of the theory which has been acquired over time. His book will be of great interest to philosophers of science, philosophers in general and physicists concerned with foundational interpretive issues in their field.

1. Introduction
2. The prehistory of classical dynamics
3. The astronomical revolution
4. Precursors to Newtonian dynamics
5. The Newtonian synthesis
6. Philosophical aspects of the Newtonian synthesis
7. The history of statics
8. The development of dynamics after Newton
9. The 'Newtonian' approach after Newton
10. From virtual work to Lagrange's equation
11. Extremal principles
12. Some philosophical reflections on explanation and theory
13. Conservation principles
14. Hamilton's equations
15. Canonical transformations, optical analogies and algebraic structures
16. The search for new foundations
17. New directions in the applications of dynamics
18. Spacetime formulations of Newtonian dynamics
19. Formalizations: mass and force
20. Relationist dynamics
21. Modes of explanation
22. Retrospective and conclusions.

Subject Areas: Dynamics & statics [PHDT], Classical mechanics [PHD], Physics [PH], Philosophy of science [PDA], History of Western philosophy [HPC], Philosophy [HP]