Tractability and laws

Synthese 200 (4):1-17 (2022)
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Abstract

According to the Best System Account of lawhood, laws of nature are theorems of the deductive systems that best balance simplicity and strength. In this paper, I advocate a different account of lawhood which is related, in spirit, to the BSA: according to my account, laws are theorems of deductive systems that best balance simplicity, strength, and also calculational tractability. I discuss two problems that the BSA faces, and I show that my account solves them. I also use my account to illuminate the nomological character of special science laws.

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10.1007/s11229-022-03638-6

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Isaac Wilhelm
National University of Singapore

Citations of this work

The Ideology of Pragmatic Humeanism.Tyler Hildebrand - forthcoming - Ergo: An Open Access Journal of Philosophy.

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References found in this work

New work for a theory of universals.David K. Lewis - 1983 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 61 (4):343-377.
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Counterfactuals.David Lewis - 1973 - Foundations of Language 13 (1):145-151.
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Humean Supervenience Debugged.David Lewis - 1994 - Mind 103 (412):473--490.

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