Mechanistic Explanations in Physics and Beyond

Brigitte Falkenburg is Professor for Philosophy at the Department of Philosophy and Political Science at the Technische Universität Dortmund. She holds a diploma in physics, a PhD in Philosophy and a 2nd PhD in Physics. Her areas of specialization are: philosophy of science and technology, history of philosophy (Kant, Hegel, Neo-Kantianism). Selected publications: Mythos Determinismus (Heidelberg: Springer 2012); Particle Metaphysics (Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer 2007); Kants Kosmologie (Frankfurt am Main: Klostermann 2000); Wem dient die Technik? Johann Joachim Becher-Preis 2002. Ed. by the J.J.Becher-Stiftung (Baden-Baden: Nomos 2004). As editor: Why More is Different (with M. Morrison) (Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer 2015); From Ultrarays to Astroparticles (with W. Rhode) (Dordrecht: Springer 2012); Natur - Technik - Kultur (Paderborn: Mentis 2007); Erhard Scheibe: Between Rationalism and Empiricism. Selected Papers in the Philosophy of Physics (New York: Springer 2001). Gregor Schiemann is Professor for Philosophy at the Department of Philosophy at the Bergische Universität in Wuppertal. He holds a diploma in physics and a PhD in Philosophy. His areas of specialization are: history and philosophy of science, the concept of nature and the relation between science and lifeworld. Selected publications: Hermann von Helmholtz's Mechanism: The Loss of Certainty (Dordrecht: Springer, 2009); Werner Heisenberg (München: Beck, 2008); as editor and author (with M. Heidelberger) The Significance of the Hypothetical in the Natural Sciences. (Berlin/New York: de Gruyter, 2009), (with A. Nordmann and H. Radder) Science Transformed? Debating claims of an epochal break (Pittsburgh : University of Pittsburgh Press, 2011); as editor (with D. Lehmkuhl and E. Scholz) Towards a Theory of Spacetime Theories (Dordrecht: Springer, 2017).

Part I: INTRODUCTION.- Introduction.- Part II: HISTORICAL APPROACHES.- Chpater 1: Stathis Psillos: Mechanisms, Then and Now.- Chapter 2: Brigitte Falkenburg: Mechanistic Explanations: History, Scope, and Limitations.- Chapter 3: Gregor Schiemann: Old and New Mechanistic Explanations.- Part III: GENERAL QUESTIONS.- Chapter 4: Michel Ghins: Mechanistic Explanation: An Extension and a Defence.- Chapter 5: Marco Buzzoni: Multilevel Reality and Mechanistic Explanations.- Chapter 6: Jan Faye: Causal Mechanism, Complexity, and the Environment.- Chapter 7: Paul Weingartner: Is Every Causal Explanation a Mechanistic Explanation?.- Chapter 8: Hans Lenk: About the New Mechanistical Turn of Causal Epistemology.- Part IV:  MECHANISMS IN PHYSICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE.- Chapter 9: Dennis Dieks: Explanation and Mechanisms in Physics.- Chapter 10: Ion-Olimpiu Stamatescu: Explanation, the Progress of Physical Theories, and Computer Simulations.- Chapter 11: Itala M. Loffredo D'Ottaviano: Autonomous Action in Complex Mechanical Systems: A Real Dilemma?.- Chapter 12: Vinzenco Fano: Computation and Reality.

"Very interesting and thought provoking, so I strongly encourage everyone interested to read this book." (V. Kreinovich, Computing Reviews, October 1, 2021)

“Very interesting and thought provoking, so I strongly encourage everyone interested to read this book.” (V. Kreinovich, Computing Reviews, October 1, 2021)