The Analysis of Matter

Description

The Analysis of Matter is the product of thirty years of thinking by one of the twentieth century's best-known philosophers. An inquiry into the philosophical foundations of physics, it was written against the background of stunning new developments in physics earlier in the century, above all relativity, as well as the excitement around quantum theory, which was just being developed. Concerned to place physics on a stable footing at a time of great theoretical change, Russell argues that the concept of matter itself can be replaced by a logical construction whose basic foundations are events. He is careful to point out that this does not prove that matter does not exist, but it does show that physicists can get on with their work without assuming that matter does exist. Russell argues that fundamental bits of ''matter'', such as electrons and protons, are simply groups of events connected in a certain way and their properties are all that are required for physics. This Routledge Classics edition includes the 1992 Introduction by John G. Slater. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents INTRODUCTION TO THE ROUTLEDGE CLASSICS EDITION PREFACE 1 The Nature of the Problem PART 1: THE LOGICAL ANALYSIS OF PHYSICS 2 Pre-Relativity Physics 3 Electrons and Protons 4 The Theory of Quanta 5 The Special Theory of Relativity 6 The General Theory of Relativity 7 The Method of Tensors 8 Geodesics 9 Invariants and Their Physical Interpretation 10 Weyl’s Theory 11 The Principle of Differential Laws 12 Measurement 13 Matter and Space 14 The Abstractness of Physics PART 2: PHYSICS AND PERCEPTION 15 From Primitive Perception to Common Sense 16 From Common Sense to Physics 17 What is an Empirical Science 18 Our Knowledge of Particular Matters of Fact 19 Data, Inferences, Hypotheses, and Theories 20 The Causal Theory of Perception 21 Perception and Objectivity 22 The Belief in General Laws 23 Substance 24 Importance of Structure in Scientific Inference 25 Perception From the Standpoint of Physics 26 Non-Mental Analogues to Perception PART 3: THE STRUCTURE OF THE PHYSICAL WORLD 27 Particulars and Events 28 The Construction of Points 29 Space-Time Order 30 Causal Lines 31 Extrinsic Causal Laws 32 Physical and Perceptual Space-Time 33 Periodicity and Qualitative Series 34 Types of Physical Occurrences 35 Causality and Interval 36 The Genesis of Space-Time 37 Physics and Neutral Monism 38 Summary and Conclusion INDEX