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Accepted manuscript

Equivalent Theories and Ontological Commitment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 January 2026

Alex LeBrun*
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo aslebrun@calpoly.edu
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Abstract

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The literature on theoretical equivalence in philosophy of physics is replete with physical theories that look quite different but are purportedly equivalent. Plausibly, there might exist a pair of equivalent theories that look different insofar as they existentially quantify over different entities. However, given the preeminence of the quantificational theory of ontological commitment, which tells us to look to quantified entities to inform ontology, such a pair of theories seems to be a problem. In this paper, I argue that there is no good way out of the problem, and I reject the quantificational theory of ontological commitment.

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Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Philosophy of Science Association