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Structuralist Approaches to Physics

During 2007-2008 I was on research leave, supported by an NSF grant (NSF SES-0724383 Brading 201201), working on a project entitled 'Structuralist Approaches to Physics' (see project description). This project is ongoing.

Work-in-progress

'Underdetermination as a path to ontic structural realism', with Alex Skiles (view draft). Forthcoming in E. Landry and D. Rickles (ed.), Structure, Object, and Causality: Proceedings of the Banff Workshop on Structural Realism. University of Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science. Springer.

'When the "Newman problem" isn't a problem: lessons for structural realism' (draft available on request).

'Epistemic structuralism and Poincaré's philosophy of science', with Elise Crull (view draft).

'Autonomous patterns and scientific realism' (view draft). Forthcoming in Philosophy of Science 77, 2010.

'Realism vs. the pessimistic meta-induction: the case of weak interactions', by Elise Crull (in progress).

Structuralism bibliography

The following bibliography was compiled as part of the project and consists of two lists.

(1) Contemporary structuralism bibliography

This list aims to provide core references for the current structural realism debate, obtained by applying two restrictions. First, we have confined the list to post-Worall (1989). The earlier discussions are significantly different in philosophical motivation, and the issues at stake in the current debate are broadly independent of this earlier work. The reference trail to work by structurally-inclined philosophers from earlier in the twentieth century can be followed from these later references, or found by visiting Ioannis Votsis's online bibliography (http://www.votsis.org/structural_realism_bibliography.html). The second restriction is that we have tried to be helpful by cutting, rather than adding, references, in order to focus on articles central to the current structuralism debate, and for which structuralism is the main topic. Once again, there is a reference trail within these papers to other relevant work, and many of these wider references can be found by consulting Votsis's online bibliography. This bibliography can be viewed here.

(2) The "Newman problem" bibliography

The exception to the historical independence claim made above is the case of the so-called "Newman problem". The second list contains references on this topic; it is once again restricted to those that have direct relevance to the current structuralism debate, but reaches back chronologically prior to Worrall (1989). There is some duplication between this list and the first. The second bibliography can be viewed here.

You are welcome to use these bibliographies. Elise Crull and I would appreciate appropriate acknowledgement should you find them helpful (NSF SES-0724383 Brading 201201).