Probability and Typicality in Deterministic Physics

Erkenntnis 80 (3):575-586 (2015)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the relation between the notion of typicality and the notion of probability and the related question of how the choice of measure in deterministic theories in physics may be justified. Recently it has been argued that although the notion of typicality is not a probabilistic notion, it plays a crucial role in underwriting probabilistic statements in classical statistical mechanics and in Bohm’s theory. We argue that even in theories with deterministic dynamics, like classical statistical mechanics and Bohm’s theory, the notion of probability can be understood as fundamentally objective, and that it is the notion of probability rather than typicality that may have an explanatory value

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 91,386

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Probability in deterministic physics.J. T. Ismael - 2009 - Journal of Philosophy 106 (2):89-108.
Revising Statistical Mechanics: Probability, Typicality and Closure Time.Alon Drory - 2012 - In Yemima Ben-Menahem & Meir Hemmo (eds.), Probability in Physics. Springer. pp. 115--134.
Typicality and the role of the Lebesgue measure in statistical mechanics.Itamar Pitowsky - 2012 - In Yemima Ben-Menahem & Meir Hemmo (eds.), Probability in Physics. Springer. pp. 41--58.
Probability and determinism.Jan Von Plato - 1982 - Philosophy of Science 49 (1):51-66.
Probability Zero in Bohm’s Theory.Meir Hemmo & Orly Shenker - 2013 - Philosophy of Science 80 (5):1148-1158.
Probability Out Of Determinism.Michael Strevens - 2011 - In Claus Beisbart & Stephan Hartmann (eds.), Probabilities in Physics. Oxford University Press. pp. 339--364.
Typicality and Notions of Probability in Physics.Sheldon Goldstein - 2012 - In Yemima Ben-Menahem & Meir Hemmo (eds.), Probability in Physics. Springer. pp. 59--71.
Deterministic Laws and Epistemic Chances.Wayne C. Myrvold - 2010 - In Yemima Ben-Menahem & Meir Hemmo (eds.), Probability in Physics. Springer. pp. 73--85.

Analytics

Added to PP
2014-10-08

Downloads
93 (#180,813)

6 months
31 (#102,418)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author Profiles

Orly Shenker
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Meir Hemmo
University of Haifa

Citations of this work

Flat Physicalism.Meir Hemmo & Orly Shenker - 2022 - Theoria 88 (4):743-764.
Calling for explanation: the case of the thermodynamic past state.Dan Baras & Orly Shenker - 2020 - European Journal for Philosophy of Science 10 (3):1-20.
Two Kinds of High-Level Probability.Meir Hemmo & Orly Shenker - 2019 - The Monist 102 (4):458-477.

View all 13 citations / Add more citations

References found in this work

Time and chance.David Z. Albert - 2000 - Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Time and Chance.David Z. Albert - 2000 - Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Time and Chance.S. French - 2005 - Mind 114 (453):113-116.
The Road to Maxwell’s Demon.Orly Shenker & Meir Hemmo - 2012 - Cambridge University Press.

View all 14 references / Add more references