A physico-mathematical approach to scientific laws

Mr Cristian Soto (University of Melbourne)

There is a longstanding philosophical debate on laws of nature. Laws, indeed, appear as a conundrum in the intertwining of science, mathematics and metaphysics. From the perspective of the minimalist metaphysics of science which I endorse (and which I have elaborated and defended elsewhere), I advocate the view that questions about laws of nature are to be answered by looking at what scientific laws actually are according to current scientific practice. For instance, most scientific laws are formulated in mathematical terms, as formulae and equations of different sorts. They convey information about specific scientific generalizations encompassing those phenomena whose salience and stability are relevant for the purposes of various scientific tasks. The minimalist metaphysics of science is prepared to stop the slippery slope of spooky metaphysical speculation there, i.e., with scientific laws proper, abstaining from pursuing further non-scientifically motivated metaphysics.