Philosophy and the Foundations of Dynamics

Although now replaced by more modern theories, classical mechanics remains a core foundational element of physical theory. From its inception, the theory of dynamics has been riddled with conceptual issues and differing philosophical interpretations and throughout its long historical development, it has shown subtle conceptual refinement. The interpretive program for the theory has also shown deep evolutionary change over time. Lawrence Sklar discusses crucial issues in the central theory from which contemporary foundational theories are derived and shows how some core issues (the nature of force, the place of absolute reference frames) have nevertheless remained deep puzzles despite the increasingly sophisticated understanding of the theory which has been acquired over time. His book will be of great interest to philosophers of science, philosophers in general and physicists concerned with foundational interpretive issues in their field.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 The pre-history of classical dynamics

Chapter 3 The astronomical revolution

Chapter 4 Precursors to Newtonian dynamics

Chapter 5 The Newtonian synthesis

Chapter 6 Philosophical aspects of the Newtonian synthesis

Chapter 7 The history of statics

Chapter 8 The development of dynamics after Newton

Chapter 9 The “Newtonian” approach after Newton

Chapter 10 From virtual work to Lagranges equation

Chapter 11 Extremal principles

Chapter 12 Some philosophical reflections on explanation and theory

Chapter 13 Conservation principles

Chapter 14 Hamiltons equations

Chapter 15 Canonical transformations, optical analogies and algebraic structures

Chapter 16 The search for new foundations

Chapter 17 New directions in the applications of dynamics

Chapter 18 Spacetime formulations of Newtonian dynamics

Chapter 19 Formalization: mass and force

Chapter 20 Relationist dynamics

Chapter 21 Modes of explanation

Chapter 22 Retrospective and conclusions

Review

‘This work could be as influential in the 21st century as Ernst Mach’s Die Mechanik (1901) was in the 20th, both in physics and philosophy … Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers/faculty.’ P. D. Skiff, Choice

About the Author

Lawrence Sklar is the Carl G. Hempel and William K. Frankena Distinguished University Professor at the University of Michigan. He is the author of Space, Time and Spacetime (1992), Philosophy of Physics (1992), Physics of Chance (Cambridge University Press, 1995) and Theory and Truth (2000).