[...]... problem of conservation and symmetry laws 10.3.3 The problem of least-action principles 10.3.4 The problem of mass 10.4 Final comments 213 214 215 215 References 219 Index 226 1 INTRODUCTION LAWS AND PROPERTIES 1.1 Laws of nature and natural properties This book is about the metaphysics of laws of nature and of natural properties These are clearly connected, since laws concern the properties of things... of properties, was developed as a view of laws by Chris Swoyer (1982), and has more recently been extended and promoted by Brian Ellis (2001, 2002) (A similar metaphysics is expounded by Harré and Madden (1975) and latterly by Molnar (2003).) According to this view laws are not thrust upon properties, irrespective, as it were, of what those properties are Rather the laws spring from within the properties. .. properties According to Ellis and Swoyer and this book laws are reflections of the essences of natural properties and kinds Even Mumford, who rejects laws altogether, appeals to natural properties to do the work others attribute to laws It is not surprising that the arguments and examples that support the natural versus non-natural distinction should make reference to science, for that distinction and. .. mass and the mass of other objects as well as their separations; Kirchhoff’s laws tell us how the current, electromotive force, and impedance in electrical circuits are related, where those quantities are properties of the circuit or its parts; the laws of thermodynamics relate the thermal properties, such as heat, entropy, and temperature of substances and systems Two influential views concerning laws. .. need for laws Furthermore, science doesn’t especially need some metaphysical category of laws, since there is no unity among the principles, generalizations, and rules of thumb to which science gives the name ‘law’ Against this I suggest that a unity can be discerned that distinguishes 8 Introduction laws and properties laws from non -laws in science and I use this to add detail to the account of laws as... says that laws depend on the pattern of their instances and other matters of particular fact (things possessing properties) This seems to get the relationship between laws and matters of particular fact the wrong way round It is laws that direct or explain the matters of particular fact, not vice versa 2 Introduction laws and properties The nomic necessitation view of Armstrong et al gives laws much... the process criticizing categoricalism about properties and the two contingentist views of laws that may accompany it (the regularity theory and the nomic necessitation theory) Although dispositional essentialism about laws and properties and the concomitant necessiatarianism have been discussed elsewhere, I aim here to give the views their most detailed and coherent defence to date In describing just... discuss what properties are, and to explore what dispositions are The significance of the first is that this book is concerned with natural properties (what Lewis call sparse properties) , as opposed to properties conceived of as concepts or as corresponding to predicates (abundant properties) My claim will be that a subset of the natural properties, the fundamental properties of physics (and possibly... account of properties and laws The cat- 6 Introduction laws and properties egoricalist view of properties involves a commitment to quidditism The weakness of quidditism is exposed by employing an analogue of Chisholm’s (1967) argument against haecceitism (the corresponding view for particulars) Quidditism allows for the swapping of nomic and causal roles According to the quidditist, the original and swapped...This page intentionally left blank CONTENTS 1 Introduction laws and properties 1.1 Laws of nature and natural properties 1.2 An outline of this book 1 1 5 2 Dispositions 2.1 Properties 2.1.1 Natural properties 2.1.2 Nominalism and realism 2.2 Dispositions 2.2.1 Multi-track dispositions 2.2.2 The conditional analysis of dispositions 2.2.3 Finkish . Introduction laws and properties 1 1.1 Laws of nature and natural properties 1 1.2 An outline of this book 5 2 Dispositions 9 2.1 Properties 9 2.1.1 Natural properties 9 2.1.2 Nominalism and realism. PROPERTIES 1.1 Laws of nature and natural properties This book is about the metaphysics of laws of nature and of natural properties. These are clearly connected, since laws concern the properties. about laws regularity 81 4.3.1 The regularity view of laws and Humean Supervenience 81 4.3.2 The regularity view of laws and explanation 86 4.4 What is wrong with categoricalism about laws nomic