James Ladyman
I am interested in most areas of philosophy, but my work has primarily been in philosophy of science. I have worked extensively on scientific realism, constructive empiricism and structural realism (I made the distinction in my 1998 paper between epistemic and ontic forms of structural realism and I have defended the latter). I have also worked on scientific representation and more recently on physicalism, the relationship between the special sciences and physics, naturalised metaphysics, the philosophy of information and computation, and the philosophy of mathematics. I have always been interested in the philosophy of physics, especially quantum mechanics, and work specifically on identity and individuality in quantum mechanics and time-symmetric quantum mechanics. I am currently trying to understand Quantum Field Theory.
I am currently writing a textbook, Philosophy of Physics, and co-editing a collection of papers in philosophy of science with Alexander Bird, Arguing about Science. I am also co-editing a book with Don Ross, Scientific Metaphysics, which will feature papers by Anjan Chakravartty, Daniel Dennett, Michael Friedman, Jenann Ismael, Andrew Melnyk and Mark Wilson, and an introduction by Harold Kincaid. I am also currently writing a paper with Don Ross, to appear in the volume.
Address: The University of Bristol,
Department of Philosophy,
9 Woodland Road,
Bristol
BS8 1TB
I am currently writing a textbook, Philosophy of Physics, and co-editing a collection of papers in philosophy of science with Alexander Bird, Arguing about Science. I am also co-editing a book with Don Ross, Scientific Metaphysics, which will feature papers by Anjan Chakravartty, Daniel Dennett, Michael Friedman, Jenann Ismael, Andrew Melnyk and Mark Wilson, and an introduction by Harold Kincaid. I am also currently writing a paper with Don Ross, to appear in the volume.
Address: The University of Bristol,
Department of Philosophy,
9 Woodland Road,
Bristol
BS8 1TB
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Books by James Ladyman
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/scientific-metaphysics-9780198744108?cc=ie&lang=en&
Everything Must Go also assesses the role of information theory and complex systems theory in attempts to explain the relationship between the special sciences and physics, treading a middle road between the grand synthesis of thermodynamics and information, and eliminativism about information. The consequences of the author's metaphysical theory for central issues in the philosophy of science are explored, including the implications for the realism vs. empiricism debate, the role of causation in scientific explanations, the nature of causation and laws, the status of abstract and virtual objects, and the objective reality of natural kinds.
Papers by James Ladyman
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/scientific-metaphysics-9780198744108?cc=ie&lang=en&
Everything Must Go also assesses the role of information theory and complex systems theory in attempts to explain the relationship between the special sciences and physics, treading a middle road between the grand synthesis of thermodynamics and information, and eliminativism about information. The consequences of the author's metaphysical theory for central issues in the philosophy of science are explored, including the implications for the realism vs. empiricism debate, the role of causation in scientific explanations, the nature of causation and laws, the status of abstract and virtual objects, and the objective reality of natural kinds.