Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
1161683 Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 2010 9 Pages PDF
Abstract

In this paper I outline how the debate concerning the intertheoretic reduction of chemistry reaches a stalemate. One way forward is to switch discussion to the issue of ontological reduction and emergence, so I present a counternomic criterion of emergence that should be acceptable to both sides of the discussion. I then examine the bearing on this debate of the symmetry problem in molecular quantum mechanics, as presented by Woolley and Sutcliffe (1977). I conclude by addressing some objections to emergentist positions: that they posit miraculous violations of physical laws; that emergence is obscure and of doubtful coherence; that causal theories of property identity render emergence, under the counternomic criterion, metaphysically impossible.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Physics and Astronomy Physics and Astronomy (General)
Authors
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