Recent Changes in the Concept of Matter: How Does 'Elementary Particle' Mean?. Shrader-Frechette, K. S. PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association, 1980:302--316, January, 1980. ArticleType: research-article / Issue Title: Volume One: Contributed Papers / Full publication date: 1980 / Copyright © 1980 Philosophy of Science Association
Paper abstract bibtex In this paper the author analyzes the recent history of the concept of matter by examining two criteria, in-principle-observability and noncompositeness, for use of the term 'elementary particle'. Arguing that how these criteria are employed sheds light on a change in what matter means, the author draws three conclusions. (1) Since the seventeenth century, in-principle-observability has undergone a progressive devaluation, if not abandonment, in favor of the criterion of theoretical simplicity. As a consequence, (2) the concept of matter has undergone a "third phase" of dematerialization. (This is an extension of the view of Russ Hanson, who described two such phases.) Finally, (3) the current concept of matter reveals a dilemma: if alleged elementary particles are verified through observation, they are composite and hence not elementary; if they are elementary, they are in-principle-unobservable.
@article{shrader-frechette_recent_1980,
title = {Recent {Changes} in the {Concept} of {Matter}: {How} {Does} '{Elementary} {Particle}' {Mean}?},
volume = {1980},
issn = {02708647},
url = {http://www.jstor.org/stable/192574},
abstract = {In this paper the author analyzes the recent history of the concept of matter by examining two criteria, in-principle-observability and noncompositeness, for use of the term 'elementary particle'. Arguing that how these criteria are employed sheds light on a change in what matter means, the author draws three conclusions. (1) Since the seventeenth century, in-principle-observability has undergone a progressive devaluation, if not abandonment, in favor of the criterion of theoretical simplicity. As a consequence, (2) the concept of matter has undergone a "third phase" of dematerialization. (This is an extension of the view of Russ Hanson, who described two such phases.) Finally, (3) the current concept of matter reveals a dilemma: if alleged elementary particles are verified through observation, they are composite and hence not elementary; if they are elementary, they are in-principle-unobservable.},
journal = {PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association},
author = {Shrader-Frechette, K. S.},
month = jan,
year = {1980},
note = {ArticleType: research-article / Issue Title: Volume One: Contributed Papers / Full publication date: 1980 / Copyright © 1980 Philosophy of Science Association},
pages = {302--316}
}
Downloads: 0
{"_id":"cC9vRKpdJtCoxqyQR","bibbaseid":"shraderfrechette-recentchangesintheconceptofmatterhowdoeselementaryparticlemean-1980","downloads":0,"creationDate":"2017-07-27T09:23:32.626Z","title":"Recent Changes in the Concept of Matter: How Does 'Elementary Particle' Mean?","author_short":["Shrader-Frechette, K. S."],"year":1980,"bibtype":"article","biburl":"https://amor.cms.hu-berlin.de/~poppechr/EarlyParticlePhysics.bib","bibdata":{"bibtype":"article","type":"article","title":"Recent Changes in the Concept of Matter: How Does 'Elementary Particle' Mean?","volume":"1980","issn":"02708647","url":"http://www.jstor.org/stable/192574","abstract":"In this paper the author analyzes the recent history of the concept of matter by examining two criteria, in-principle-observability and noncompositeness, for use of the term 'elementary particle'. Arguing that how these criteria are employed sheds light on a change in what matter means, the author draws three conclusions. (1) Since the seventeenth century, in-principle-observability has undergone a progressive devaluation, if not abandonment, in favor of the criterion of theoretical simplicity. As a consequence, (2) the concept of matter has undergone a \"third phase\" of dematerialization. (This is an extension of the view of Russ Hanson, who described two such phases.) Finally, (3) the current concept of matter reveals a dilemma: if alleged elementary particles are verified through observation, they are composite and hence not elementary; if they are elementary, they are in-principle-unobservable.","journal":"PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association","author":[{"propositions":[],"lastnames":["Shrader-Frechette"],"firstnames":["K.","S."],"suffixes":[]}],"month":"January","year":"1980","note":"ArticleType: research-article / Issue Title: Volume One: Contributed Papers / Full publication date: 1980 / Copyright © 1980 Philosophy of Science Association","pages":"302--316","bibtex":"@article{shrader-frechette_recent_1980,\n\ttitle = {Recent {Changes} in the {Concept} of {Matter}: {How} {Does} '{Elementary} {Particle}' {Mean}?},\n\tvolume = {1980},\n\tissn = {02708647},\n\turl = {http://www.jstor.org/stable/192574},\n\tabstract = {In this paper the author analyzes the recent history of the concept of matter by examining two criteria, in-principle-observability and noncompositeness, for use of the term 'elementary particle'. Arguing that how these criteria are employed sheds light on a change in what matter means, the author draws three conclusions. (1) Since the seventeenth century, in-principle-observability has undergone a progressive devaluation, if not abandonment, in favor of the criterion of theoretical simplicity. As a consequence, (2) the concept of matter has undergone a \"third phase\" of dematerialization. (This is an extension of the view of Russ Hanson, who described two such phases.) Finally, (3) the current concept of matter reveals a dilemma: if alleged elementary particles are verified through observation, they are composite and hence not elementary; if they are elementary, they are in-principle-unobservable.},\n\tjournal = {PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association},\n\tauthor = {Shrader-Frechette, K. S.},\n\tmonth = jan,\n\tyear = {1980},\n\tnote = {ArticleType: research-article / Issue Title: Volume One: Contributed Papers / Full publication date: 1980 / Copyright © 1980 Philosophy of Science Association},\n\tpages = {302--316}\n}\n\n","author_short":["Shrader-Frechette, K. S."],"key":"shrader-frechette_recent_1980","id":"shrader-frechette_recent_1980","bibbaseid":"shraderfrechette-recentchangesintheconceptofmatterhowdoeselementaryparticlemean-1980","role":"author","urls":{"Paper":"http://www.jstor.org/stable/192574"},"downloads":0,"html":""},"search_terms":["recent","changes","concept","matter","elementary","particle","mean","shrader-frechette"],"keywords":["concepts","development","theory and experiment","elementary particles"],"authorIDs":[],"dataSources":["S24s56GjYmDyve5SH"]}