University of California, San Diego
1:00–2:00
Talk
2:00–2:05
Break
2:05–3:00
Open Discussion and Q&A
Physical laws are strikingly simple, although there is no a priori reason they must be so. I propose that nomic realists of all types (Humeans and non-Humeans) should accept that simplicity is a fundamental epistemic guide for discovering and evaluating candidate physical laws. This principle of simplicity clarifies and solves several problems of nomic realism and simplicity. A consequence is that the often-cited epistemic advantage of Humeanism over non-Humeanism is exaggerated, undercutting an influential epistemological argument for Humeanism. Moreover, simplicity is shown to be more tightly connected to lawhood than to mere truth.
• The Foundations of Physics @Harvard series is co-sponsored by the Department of Philosophy
• This is a free Zoom event (no registration fee)
• The meeting ID and password will be shared with those who register
• Each talk will be 1 hour, followed by a 5-minute break and then 55 minutes for questions
• You can find more events in this series on the Foundations of Physics @Harvard website
• You can visit the YouTube channel here
Questions or comments: Jacob Barandes, <lastname>(at)g.harvard.edu (organizer)
LOCATION:Zoom STATUS:CONFIRMED DTSTART:20221213T180000Z DTEND:20221213T200000Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR