James Ladyman
Biographic Data
| ID | 460070 |
|---|---|
| NAME | James Ladyman |
| GIVEN NAMES | James |
| FAMILY NAME | Ladyman |
| SIGNATURE | LADYMAN J |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Bristol |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 36 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 314 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 35 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1997 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
On the Quantum Theory of Molecules: Rigour, Idealization, and Uncertainty
Philosophers have claimed that: (a) Born–Oppenheimer approximation methods for solving molecular Schrödinger equations violate the Heisenberg uncertainty relations; therefore, (b) ‘quantum chemistry’ is not fully quantum; and (c) therefore chemistry does not reduce to physics. This paper analyses the reasoning behind Born–Oppenheimer methods and shows that they are internally consistent and fully quantum mechanical, contrary to (a)–(c). Our analy…
Physical explanations in evolutionary biology
The consensus in philosophy of biology seems to be that although nothing in biological systems is strictly incompatible with physical laws, biology is to a very great extent autonomous from physics. The main thesis of this paper is that, although biology is autonomous from the physical sciences in several ways, it is not explanatorily independent from physics. Physical explanations are pervasive and important in biology, including in evolutionary…
Physical Explanation and the Autonomy of Biology
It is often claimed that biology is autonomous from the physical sciences, but this is seldom made precise. This paper makes explicit, for the first time, five distinct ‘autonomy of biology’ theses. Three moderate theses concerning scientific status, methodological distinctness, and non-reducibility of biology to physics, are correct, and are nearly universally accepted. Two stronger theses concerning the exclusivity of biological explanation and…
The social turn of artificial intelligence
Social machines are systems formed by material and human elements interacting in a structured way. The use of digital platforms as mediators allows large numbers of humans to participate in such machines, which have interconnected AI and human components operating as a single system capable of highly sophisticated behaviour. Under certain conditions, such systems can be understood as autonomous goal-driven agents. Many popular online platforms ca…
Effective Ontic Structural Realism
Three accounts of effective realism (ER) have been advanced to solve three problems for scientific realism: Fraser and Vickers (forthcoming) develop a version of ER about non-relativistic quantum mechanics that they argue is compatible with all the main realist versions (‘interpretations’) of quantum mechanics avoiding the problem of underdetermination among them; Williams (2019) and Fraser (2020b) propose ER about quantum field theory as a respo…
Studies A, B, and C merger
Introduction: Structuralists of the world unite
Does Homotopy Type Theory Provide a Foundation for Mathematics
Homotopy Type Theory (HoTT) is a putative new foundation for mathematics grounded in constructive intensional type theory that offers an alternative to the foundations provided by ZFC set theory and category theory. This article explains and motivates an account of how to define, justify, and think about HoTT in a way that is self-contained, and argues that, so construed, it is a candidate for being an autonomous foundation for mathematics. We fi…
What is a complex system?
Scientific Metaphysics
Original essays by leading philosophers of science explore the question of whether metaphysics can and should be naturalised - conducted as part of natural science. They engage with a range of approaches and disciplines to argue that if metaphysics is to be capable of identifying objective truths, it must be continuous with and inspired by science.
Entanglement and non-factorizability
Landauer defended: Reply to Norton
Arguing About Science
Arguing About Science is an outstanding, engaging introduction to the essential topics in philosophy of science, edited by two leading experts in the field. This exciting and innovative anthology contains a selection of classic and contemporary readings that examine a broad range of issues, from classic problems such as scientific reasoning; causation; and scientific realism, to more recent topics such as science and race; forensic science; and t…
Models and structures: Phenomenological and partial
Empirical factors and structure transference: Returning to the London account
Understanding Philosophy of Science
Few can imagine a world without telephones or televisions; many depend on computers and the Internet as part of daily life. Without scientific theory, these developments would not have been possible.In this exceptionally clear and engaging introduction to philosophy of science, James Ladyman explores the philosophical questions that arise when we reflect on the nature of the scientific method and the knowledge it produces. He discusses whether fu…
Structural realism versus standard scientific realism: The case of phlogiston and dephlogisticated air
The scientistic stance: The empirical and materialist stances reconciled
The Alleged Coupling-Constitution Fallacy and the Mature Sciences
This chapter discusses the plausibility of the criticism against the thesis that external factors causally influence cognition and that they are, consequently, partly constitutive of cognition. The discussion should not be taken as implicitly proposing that the opposite theory is true, although the works of Adams and Aizawa suggest that they are defending internalism. This can be attributed to the fact that systems are, by definition, bounded; on…
The Principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles and Quantum Mechanics
It is argued that recent discussion of the principle of the identity of indiscernibles (PII) and quantum mechanics has lost sight of the broader philosophical motivation and significance of PII and that the ‘received view' of the status of PII in the light of quantum mechanics survives recent criticisms of it by Muller, Saunders, and Seevinck
Physicalism, Supervenience and the Fundamental Level
We provide a formulation of physicalism, and show that this is to be favoured over alternative formulations. Much of the literature on physicalism assumes without argument that there is a fundamental level to reality, and we show that a consideration of the levels problem and its implications for physicalism tells in favour of the form of physicalism proposed here. Its key elements are, first, that the empirical and substantive part of physicalis…
The use of the information-theoretic entropy in thermodynamics
Structural Realism and the Relationship between the Special Sciences and Physics
The primacy of physics generates a philosophical problem that the naturalist must solve in order to be entitled to an egalitarian acceptance of the ontological commitments he or she inherits from the special sciences and fundamental physics. The problem is the generalized causal exclusion argument. If there is no genuine causation in the domains of the special sciences but only in fundamental physics then there are grounds for doubting the existe…
Every Thing Must Go: Metaphysics Naturalized
In this book, the authors argue that the only kind of metaphysics that can contribute to objective knowledge is one based specifically on contemporary science as it really is, and not on philosophers' a priori intuitions, common sense, or simplifications of science.
The connection between logical and thermodynamic irreversibility
What is structural realism
Remodelling Structural Realism: Quantum Physics and the Metaphysics of Structure
What's Really Wrong with Constructive Empiricism? Van Fraassen and the Metaphysics of Modality
Constructive empiricism is supposed to offer a positive alternative to scientific realism that dispenses with the need for metaphysics. I first review the terms of the debate before arguing that the standard objections to constructive empiricism are not decisive. I then explain van Fraassen's views on modality and counterfactuals, and argue that, because constructive empiricism recommends on epistemological grounds belief in the empirical adequac…
Structural realism versus standard scientific realism: The case of phlogiston and dephlogisticated air
On Representing the Relationship between the Mathematical and the Empirical
We examine, from the partial structures perspective, two forms of applicability of mathematics: at the “bottom” level, the applicability of theoretical structures to the “appearances”, and at the “top” level, the applicability of mathematical to physical theories. We argue that, to accommodate these two forms of applicability, the partial structures approach needs to be extended to include a notion of “partial homomorphism”. As a case study, we p…
Understanding Philosophy of Science
Few can imagine a world without telephones or televisions; many depend on computers and the Internet as part of daily life. Without scientific theory, these developments would not have been possible.In this exceptionally clear and engaging introduction to philosophy of science, James Ladyman explores the philosophical questions that arise when we reflect on the nature of the scientific method and the knowledge it produces. He discusses whether fu…
A Defence of van Fraassen's Critique of Abductive Inference: Reply to Psillos
Psillos has recently argued that van Fraassen’s arguments against abduction fail. Moreover, he claimed that, if successful, these arguments would equally undermine van Fraassen’s own constructive empiricism, for, Psillos thinks, it is only by appeal to abduction that constructive empiricism can be saved from issuing in a bald scepticism. We show that Psillos’ criticisms are misguided, and that they are mostly based on misinterpretations of van Fr…
The Dissolution of Objects: Between Platonism and Phenomenalism
Constructive Empiricism and Modal Metaphysics: A Reply to Monton and van Fraassen
In this journal [2000], I argued that Bas van Fraassen's constructive empiricism was undermined in various ways by his antirealism about modality. Here I offer some comments and responses to the reply to my arguments by Bradley Monton and van Fraassen [2003]. In particular, after making some minor points, I argue that Monton and van Fraassen have not done enough to show that the context dependence of counterfactuals renders their truth conditions…
The Principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles and Quantum Mechanics
It is argued that recent discussion of the principle of the identity of indiscernibles (PII) and quantum mechanics has lost sight of the broader philosophical motivation and significance of PII and that the ‘received view' of the status of PII in the light of quantum mechanics survives recent criticisms of it by Muller, Saunders, and Seevinck
Physicalism, Supervenience and the Fundamental Level
We provide a formulation of physicalism, and show that this is to be favoured over alternative formulations. Much of the literature on physicalism assumes without argument that there is a fundamental level to reality, and we show that a consideration of the levels problem and its implications for physicalism tells in favour of the form of physicalism proposed here. Its key elements are, first, that the empirical and substantive part of physicalis…
Does Homotopy Type Theory Provide a Foundation for Mathematics
Homotopy Type Theory (HoTT) is a putative new foundation for mathematics grounded in constructive intensional type theory that offers an alternative to the foundations provided by ZFC set theory and category theory. This article explains and motivates an account of how to define, justify, and think about HoTT in a way that is self-contained, and argues that, so construed, it is a candidate for being an autonomous foundation for mathematics. We fi…
Introduction: Structuralists of the world unite
Physical Explanation and the Autonomy of Biology
It is often claimed that biology is autonomous from the physical sciences, but this is seldom made precise. This paper makes explicit, for the first time, five distinct ‘autonomy of biology’ theses. Three moderate theses concerning scientific status, methodological distinctness, and non-reducibility of biology to physics, are correct, and are nearly universally accepted. Two stronger theses concerning the exclusivity of biological explanation and…
Effective Ontic Structural Realism
Three accounts of effective realism (ER) have been advanced to solve three problems for scientific realism: Fraser and Vickers (forthcoming) develop a version of ER about non-relativistic quantum mechanics that they argue is compatible with all the main realist versions (‘interpretations’) of quantum mechanics avoiding the problem of underdetermination among them; Williams (2019) and Fraser (2020b) propose ER about quantum field theory as a respo…
The scientistic stance: The empirical and materialist stances reconciled
Superconductivity and structures: Revisiting the London account
A Defence of van Fraassen's Critique of Abductive Inference: Reply to Psillos
Psillos has recently argued that van Fraassen’s arguments against abduction fail. Moreover, he claimed that, if successful, these arguments would equally undermine van Fraassen’s own constructive empiricism, for, Psillos thinks, it is only by appeal to abduction that constructive empiricism can be saved from issuing in a bald scepticism. We show that Psillos’ criticisms are misguided, and that they are mostly based on misinterpretations of van Fr…
What is structural realism
Reinflating the semantic approach
The semantic, or model‐theoretic, approach to theories has recently come under criticism on two fronts: (i) it is claimed that it cannot account for the wide diversity of models employed in scientific practice—a claim which has led some to propose a “deflationary” account of models; (ii) it is further contended that the sense of “model” used by the approach differs from that given in model theory. Our aim in the present work is to articulate a po…
What's Really Wrong with Constructive Empiricism? Van Fraassen and the Metaphysics of Modality
Constructive empiricism is supposed to offer a positive alternative to scientific realism that dispenses with the need for metaphysics. I first review the terms of the debate before arguing that the standard objections to constructive empiricism are not decisive. I then explain van Fraassen's views on modality and counterfactuals, and argue that, because constructive empiricism recommends on epistemological grounds belief in the empirical adequac…
On Representing the Relationship between the Mathematical and the Empirical
We examine, from the partial structures perspective, two forms of applicability of mathematics: at the “bottom” level, the applicability of theoretical structures to the “appearances”, and at the “top” level, the applicability of mathematical to physical theories. We argue that, to accommodate these two forms of applicability, the partial structures approach needs to be extended to include a notion of “partial homomorphism”. As a case study, we p…
Stathis Psillos, Causation and Explanation. Chesham: Acumen, 2002
The Dissolution of Objects: Between Platonism and Phenomenalism
Remodelling Structural Realism: Quantum Physics and the Metaphysics of Structure
Constructive Empiricism and Modal Metaphysics: A Reply to Monton and van Fraassen
In this journal [2000], I argued that Bas van Fraassen's constructive empiricism was undermined in various ways by his antirealism about modality. Here I offer some comments and responses to the reply to my arguments by Bradley Monton and van Fraassen [2003]. In particular, after making some minor points, I argue that Monton and van Fraassen have not done enough to show that the context dependence of counterfactuals renders their truth conditions…
Wouldn’t it be Lovely: Explanation and Scientific Realism
Every Thing Must Go: Metaphysics Naturalized
In this book, the authors argue that the only kind of metaphysics that can contribute to objective knowledge is one based specifically on contemporary science as it really is, and not on philosophers' a priori intuitions, common sense, or simplifications of science.
The connection between logical and thermodynamic irreversibility
The use of the information-theoretic entropy in thermodynamics
Structural Realism and the Relationship between the Special Sciences and Physics
The primacy of physics generates a philosophical problem that the naturalist must solve in order to be entitled to an egalitarian acceptance of the ontological commitments he or she inherits from the special sciences and fundamental physics. The problem is the generalized causal exclusion argument. If there is no genuine causation in the domains of the special sciences but only in fundamental physics then there are grounds for doubting the existe…
Physicalism, Supervenience and the Fundamental Level
We provide a formulation of physicalism, and show that this is to be favoured over alternative formulations. Much of the literature on physicalism assumes without argument that there is a fundamental level to reality, and we show that a consideration of the levels problem and its implications for physicalism tells in favour of the form of physicalism proposed here. Its key elements are, first, that the empirical and substantive part of physicalis…
The Alleged Coupling-Constitution Fallacy and the Mature Sciences
This chapter discusses the plausibility of the criticism against the thesis that external factors causally influence cognition and that they are, consequently, partly constitutive of cognition. The discussion should not be taken as implicitly proposing that the opposite theory is true, although the works of Adams and Aizawa suggest that they are defending internalism. This can be attributed to the fact that systems are, by definition, bounded; on…
The Principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles and Quantum Mechanics
It is argued that recent discussion of the principle of the identity of indiscernibles (PII) and quantum mechanics has lost sight of the broader philosophical motivation and significance of PII and that the ‘received view' of the status of PII in the light of quantum mechanics survives recent criticisms of it by Muller, Saunders, and Seevinck
Structural realism versus standard scientific realism: The case of phlogiston and dephlogisticated air
The scientistic stance: The empirical and materialist stances reconciled
Arguing About Science
Arguing About Science is an outstanding, engaging introduction to the essential topics in philosophy of science, edited by two leading experts in the field. This exciting and innovative anthology contains a selection of classic and contemporary readings that examine a broad range of issues, from classic problems such as scientific reasoning; causation; and scientific realism, to more recent topics such as science and race; forensic science; and t…
Models and structures: Phenomenological and partial
Empirical factors and structure transference: Returning to the London account
Understanding Philosophy of Science
Few can imagine a world without telephones or televisions; many depend on computers and the Internet as part of daily life. Without scientific theory, these developments would not have been possible.In this exceptionally clear and engaging introduction to philosophy of science, James Ladyman explores the philosophical questions that arise when we reflect on the nature of the scientific method and the knowledge it produces. He discusses whether fu…
What is a complex system?
Epistemology (31 works) · Philosophy (30 works) · Philosophy and History of Science (22 works) · Computer Science (18 works) · Physics (14 works) · Theoretical physics (13 works) · Philosophy and Theoretical Science (11 works) · Philosophy of science (11 works) · Mathematics (9 works) · Metaphysics (9 works)