SQuaRed-EX: Scientific Quantitativeness Reduced and Explained

Lead Research Organisation: University of Birmingham
Department Name: School of Philosophy Theology & Religion

Abstract

Physical quantities - things like length, mass, charge, and volume-are commonly represented in science and everyday practice with mathematical entities, like numbers and vectors. We explain why I cannot reach the iced coffee 105cm away from me on the table by citing the fact that my arm is 72cm long and 72 < 105. However, we don't think that the arithmetical '<' relation between the numbers 72 and 105 is directly explaining anything about my arm or the coffee. Rather, these mathematical terms explain indirectly by representing some directly explanatory physical feature of the system itself. A complete account of the physical world should give us an understanding of the underlying "quantitative structure" in virtue of which these mathematical representations are successful. This is the Problem of Quantity. Although researchers in the metaphysics of science and philosophy of physics recognize that the quantitative structure of the world cries out for explanation, attempts to resolve the problem have hitherto relied on taking some quantitative structure to be fundamental, "unexplained primitives" (using these primitives to explain the rest of that quantity's structure). I reject this approach, which I call "quantitative primitivism", and propose a groundbreaking and ambitious approach that allows me to give fully reductive and complete explanations a quantity's structure. The project, "Scientific Quantities: Reductively Explained" or "SQuaRed- EX" aims to 1) develop complete reductive accounts of quantitative structure that use fundamental physical quantities' role in the physical world to explain why they can be so well represented by mathematics, 2) develop extensions of the reductive-explanatory approach to quantities outside of fundamental physics, including quantities in thermodynamics and chemistry, and 3) disseminate these results and the reductive-explanatory approach used to produce them, guiding future research in the field in a more fruitful direction.

Publications

10 25 50
publication icon
Perry Z (2024) On Mereology and Metricality in Philosophers' Imprint

publication icon
Perry Z (2023) Explanatory Problems for Mass Additivity and Dynamics in Crítica (México D. F. En línea)

publication icon
Perry Z (2023) Against Quantitative Primitivism in Philosophy of Science

 
Description Aug 2023 "Against Quantitative Primitivism" Society for the Metaphysics of Science, 8th Annual Meeting, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact "Against Quantitative Primitivism" presented to experts at Society for the Metaphysics of Science, 8th Annual Meeting, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description December 2022 "In Special Relativity, there's no speed of light, so what the heck did Michelson measure?! Or, why getting ontology from our models is a mistake" FraMEPhys Models and Modals in Physics Workshop. University of Birmingham. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact "In Special Relativity, there's no speed of light, so what the heck did Michelson measure?! Or, why getting ontology from our models is a mistake" presented to experts at FraMEPhys Models and Modals in Physics Workshop. University of Birmingham.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description June 2023 "Can Dynamics Explain the Quantitative? Prospects for a Nomological Theory of Quantity" Syracuse Philosophy Annual Workshop and Network (SPAWN), Laws of Nature workshop, Syracuse NY (I) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact "Can Dynamics Explain the Quantitative? Prospects for a Nomological Theory of Quantity" presented to experts at Syracuse Philosophy Annual Workshop and Network (SPAWN), Laws of Nature workshop, Syracuse NY (I)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description March 2023 "Against Quantitative Primitivism" SQuaRed-Ex Quantities, Metaphysics and Reduction Workshop, University of Birmingham. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact "Against Quantitative Primitivism" presented to experts at SQuaRed-Ex Quantities, Metaphysics and Reduction Workshop, University of Birmingham.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description March 2023 - SQuaRed-Ex Quantities, Metaphysics and Reduction Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact March 2023 - SQuaRed-Ex Quantities, Metaphysics and Reduction Workshop organized and hosted online over Zoom with a panel of expert presentations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description May 2023 "Can Dynamics Explain the Quantitative? Prospects for a Nomological Theory of Quantity" FraMEPhys Metaphysical Explanation in Physics Conference, University of Birmingham. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact "Can Dynamics Explain the Quantitative? Prospects for a Nomological Theory of Quantity" presented to experts at FraMEPhys Metaphysical Explanation in Physics Conference, University of Birmingham.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description November 2022 "Against Quantitative Primitivism" Philosophy of Science Association Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact "Against Quantitative Primitivism" presented to experts at Philosophy of Science Association Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022