The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Physics

The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Physics is a comprehensive and authoritative guide to the state of the art in the philosophy of physics. It contains 54 self-contained chapters written by leading philosophers of physics at both senior and junior levels, making it the most thorough and detailed volume of its type on the market - nearly every major perspective in the field is represented.The Companion's 54 chapters are organized into 12 sections. The first seven sections cover all of the major physical theories investigated by philosophers of physics today, and the last five explore key themes that unite the study of these theories.I. Classical MechanicsII. Special RelativityIII. General RelativityIV. Non-Relativistic Quantum MechanicsV. Quantum Field TheoryVI. Quantum GravityVII. Statistical Mechanics and ThermodynamicsVIII. ExplanationIX. Intertheoretic RelationsX. SymmetriesXI. MetaphysicsXII. CosmologyThe level of the articles has been carefully pitched so as to offer both accessible summaries for those new to philosophy of physics and standard reference points for active researchers on the front lines. An introductory essay by the editors maps out the field, and each section also begins with a short summary that places the individual chapters in context. The volume will be indispensable to any serious student or scholar of philosophy of physics.