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Renormalization Group Realism: The Ascent of Pessimism
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 January 2022
Abstract
One realist response to the pessimistic meta-induction distinguishes idle theoretical wheels from aspects of successful theories we can expect to persist and espouses realism about the latter. Implementing the response requires a strategy for identifying the distinguished aspects. The strategy I will call renormalization group realism has the virtue of directly engaging the gears of our best current physics—perturbative quantum field theories. I argue that the strategy, rather than disarming the skeptical possibilities evinced by the pessimistic meta-induction, forces them to retreat a level. I also suggest that those skeptical possibilities continue to carry force.
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- Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association
Footnotes
I am obliged to my fellow symposiasts (Doreen Fraser, James Fraser, Leif Hancox-Li, Michael Miller, and Porter Williams) for provocation and guidance.
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