Rutgers-Columbia Workshop on the Metaphysics of Science: Quantum Field Theories*
Time: May 17 - 18, 2018
Location: Department of Philosophy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Location: Department of Philosophy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
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Thursday, May 17
"Introduction to the Ontology of QFT." [Slides] David Baker (Michigan). "Interpreting Supersymmetry" [Slides] Speaker: David Baker (Michigan). Chair: Noel Swanson (Delaware). "Bohmian Quantum Field Theory." [Slides] Speaker: Ward Struyve (KULeuven). Chair: Mario Hubert (Columbia). "What is a Quantum Field?" [Slides] Speaker: Tian Yu Cao (Boston). Chair: Nina Emery (Mt Holyoke). "QFT on Curved Space-times and its Applications in Cosmology." [Slides] Speaker: Anna Ijjas (Columbia). Chair: Elise Crull (CUNY). |
Friday, May 18
"Introduction to Major Approaches to QFT." [Slides] Michael Miller (Toronto). "The Physics within Metaphysics." Speaker: Porter Williams (Pittsburgh). Chair: Charles Sebens (UCSD). "Perturbing Realism." [Slides] Speaker: Laura Ruetsche (Michigan). Chair: Jill North (Rutgers). "Indeterminacy at Large Order." [Slides] Speaker: Michael Miller (Toronto). Chair: Valia Allori (NIU). "Quantum Metaphysics from an Effective-Field-Theory Viewpoint." [Slides] Speaker: David Wallace (USC). Chair: Richard Healey (Arizona). |
Workshop Theme:
What is the metaphysical status of quantum field theory (QFT)? How should field theories be interpreted? These questions have received considerable attention over the past few decades in various research projects in physics, mathematics, and philosophy, but there is no clear consensus on any of them. One finds a variety of different approaches to understanding QFTs---Algebraic QFT, conventional QFT, Bell-type Bohmian QFT, etc.---and different interpretations---realism, instrumentalism, and structuralism. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches? What is the status of the measurement problem in these theories? And more generally, how should QFT inform the metaphysics of science?
(Information about the previous workshop in 2017, on structural realism, can be found here. There is also a pre-workshop workshop.)
Organizers: Eddy Chen (Rutgers), Sebastien Rivat (Columbia), Isaac Wilhelm (Rutgers)
Sponsors: Marc Sanders Foundation, Rutgers University Philosophy Department, Columbia University Philosophy Department, Rutgers Graduate Student Association.
Invited Discussants:
Richard Healey (Arizona), Meinard Kuhlmann (Bremen), James Ladyman (Bristol), Jeremy Butterfield (Cambridge), Brian Pitts (Cambridge), Ryan Reece (CERN), David Albert (Columbia), Mario Hubert (Columbia), Elise Crull (CUNY), Noel Swanson (Delaware), David Glick (Ithaca), Ward Struyve (LMU), Gordon Belot (Michigan), Nina Emery (Mount Holyoke), Valia Allori (NIU), Jonathan Bain (NYU), Cian Dorr (NYU), Hartry Field (NYU), Tim Maudlin (NYU), Michael Strevens (NYU), Adam Elga (Princeton), Hans Halvorson (Princeton), Mark Johnston (Princeton), Gideon Rosen (Princeton), Bob Batterman (Pittsburgh), Natan Andrei (Rutgers), Sheldon Goldstein (Rutgers), Matthias Lienert (Rutgers), Barry Loewer (Rutgers), Jill North (Rutgers), Zee Perry (Rutgers), Jonathan Schaffer (Rutgers), Ted Sider (Rutgers), Dean Zimmerman (Rutgers), Paul Teller (UC Davis), Marian Gilton (UCI), Nick Huggett (UIC), Charles Sebens (UCSD), Elizabeth Miller (Yale).
*This workshop is made possible through the generous support of the Marc Sanders Foundation, Rutgers University Philosophy Department, Columbia University Philosophy Department, and Rutgers Graduate Student Association. Special thanks to Professor Mark Johnston, Professor Dean Zimmerman, and the administrative staff at Rutgers and Columbia.
What is the metaphysical status of quantum field theory (QFT)? How should field theories be interpreted? These questions have received considerable attention over the past few decades in various research projects in physics, mathematics, and philosophy, but there is no clear consensus on any of them. One finds a variety of different approaches to understanding QFTs---Algebraic QFT, conventional QFT, Bell-type Bohmian QFT, etc.---and different interpretations---realism, instrumentalism, and structuralism. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches? What is the status of the measurement problem in these theories? And more generally, how should QFT inform the metaphysics of science?
(Information about the previous workshop in 2017, on structural realism, can be found here. There is also a pre-workshop workshop.)
Organizers: Eddy Chen (Rutgers), Sebastien Rivat (Columbia), Isaac Wilhelm (Rutgers)
Sponsors: Marc Sanders Foundation, Rutgers University Philosophy Department, Columbia University Philosophy Department, Rutgers Graduate Student Association.
Invited Discussants:
Richard Healey (Arizona), Meinard Kuhlmann (Bremen), James Ladyman (Bristol), Jeremy Butterfield (Cambridge), Brian Pitts (Cambridge), Ryan Reece (CERN), David Albert (Columbia), Mario Hubert (Columbia), Elise Crull (CUNY), Noel Swanson (Delaware), David Glick (Ithaca), Ward Struyve (LMU), Gordon Belot (Michigan), Nina Emery (Mount Holyoke), Valia Allori (NIU), Jonathan Bain (NYU), Cian Dorr (NYU), Hartry Field (NYU), Tim Maudlin (NYU), Michael Strevens (NYU), Adam Elga (Princeton), Hans Halvorson (Princeton), Mark Johnston (Princeton), Gideon Rosen (Princeton), Bob Batterman (Pittsburgh), Natan Andrei (Rutgers), Sheldon Goldstein (Rutgers), Matthias Lienert (Rutgers), Barry Loewer (Rutgers), Jill North (Rutgers), Zee Perry (Rutgers), Jonathan Schaffer (Rutgers), Ted Sider (Rutgers), Dean Zimmerman (Rutgers), Paul Teller (UC Davis), Marian Gilton (UCI), Nick Huggett (UIC), Charles Sebens (UCSD), Elizabeth Miller (Yale).
*This workshop is made possible through the generous support of the Marc Sanders Foundation, Rutgers University Philosophy Department, Columbia University Philosophy Department, and Rutgers Graduate Student Association. Special thanks to Professor Mark Johnston, Professor Dean Zimmerman, and the administrative staff at Rutgers and Columbia.