Understanding electromagnetism

British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 49 (4):531-555 (1998)
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Abstract

It is often said that the Aharonov-Bohm effect shows that the vector potential enjoys more ontological significance than we previously realized. But how can a quantum-mechanical effect teach us something about the interpretation of Maxwell's theory—let alone about the ontological structure of the world—when both theories are false? I present a rational reconstruction of the interpretative repercussions of the Aharonov-Bohm effect, and suggest some morals for our conception of the interpretative enterprise.

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Gordon Belot
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

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References found in this work

What price spacetime substantivalism? The hole story.John Earman & John Norton - 1987 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 38 (4):515-525.
Mach's principle and the structure of dynamical theories.Julian B. Barbour & Bruno Bertotti - 1982 - Proceedings of the Royal Society, London:295--306.
Nonlocality and the aharonov-Bohm effect.Richard Healey - 1997 - Philosophy of Science 64 (1):18-41.
Pluralistic ontology and theory reduction in the physical sciences.Fritz Rohrlich - 1988 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 39 (3):295-312.

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