Rational Reconstructions of Modern Physics

Prof. Dr. Peter Mittelstaedt is emeritus professor at the University of Cologne. His main research fields are Foundations of Quantum Theory, Relativity Theory, Philosophy of Science and Logic. He has published various books with Springer: "Laws of Nature" (2005, together with P.A. Weingartner), "The Quantum Theory of Measurement" (1996, together with P. Busch and P.J. Lahti) and "Quantum Logic" (1978). Dr. Kristina Engelhard edited this 2nd enlarged edition of the book by Prof. P. Mittelstaedt. She obtained her PhD in Philosophy at the University of Cologne with a thesis entitled "The Simple and Matter. Inquiries into Kant’s Antinomy of Division" and she is currently Research and Teaching Assistant at the Philosophy Department of the University of Cologne (Germany).

Rise and Fall of Physical Theories.- The Evolution of Modern Physics from the Classical World.- Intuitiveness and Truth of Modern Physics.- The New Approach: Reduction and Elimination of Metaphysical Hypotheses.- Reconstruction of Special and General Relativity.- Historical Development Versus Rational Reconstruction.- Reconstruction of Special Relativity.- Reconstruction of Quantum Mechanics.- The Historical Development of Quantum Mechanics.- The Reduction of Ontological Hypotheses.- The Formal Languages of Classical Physics and of Quantum Physics.- Three Constants of Nature.- The Problem of Constants of Nature in Modern Physics.- The Meaning of the Constant “c” in Special Relativity.- Preliminary Remarks.-  Metaphysics and Ontology.- Reconstruction of Special Relativity.-  The Meaning of the Constant o.- One More Fundamental Question.- Planck’s Constant Ћ in the Light of Quantum Logic.- Interpretations of Modern Physics.- Introductory Remarks.- The Interpretations of Special Relativity.- Concluding Remarks.- Intuitiveness and Truth in Physical Theories.