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Primitive Ontology and the Structure of Fundamental Physical Theories

Valia Allori

Published Apr 8, 2013• 202 citations

Abstract

In contrast to what is commonly believed, fundamental physical theories (like classical and quantum mechanics) have a common structure: the (microscopic) constituents of material objects are mathematically represented by a primitive ontology, an entity in space-time. Because the wave function lives in configuration space, the problem for the metaphysician is to establish what the wave function is.

DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199790807.003.0002

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