| Unit name | Philosophical Foundations of Physics |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHIL30054 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Ladyman |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
none |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Philosophy |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This is a course on the foundations of modern physics, designed specifically for physics students. It runs in parallel with the 20-credit option "Philosophical Foundations of the Physical Sciences". The course aims to bring out the philosophical presuppositions underlying much of modern mathematical physics. It discusses topics such as: the meaning of time in Einstein's theories of relativity: the conventionality and the relativity of simultaneity; non-Euclidean geometry and Relativity; locality and action at a distance; the problem of quantum measurement; determinism, causality and chance in quantum mechanics; entropy and the direction of time.
