“Physics and Fundamentality” Alyssa Ney (UC Davies)

What justifies the allocation of funding to research in physics when many would argue research in the life and social sciences may have more immediate impact in transforming our world for the better? Many of the justifications for such spending depend on the claim that physics enjoys a kind of special status vis-a-vis the other sciences, that physics or at least some branches of physics exhibit a form of fundamentality. The goal of this talk is to articulate a conception of fundamentality that can support such justifications. I argue that traditional conceptions of fundamentality in terms of dynamical or ontic completeness rest on mistaken assumptions about the nature and scope of physical explanations.

A reception will follow at the Philosophy Department, Room 7113.

SWIP-Analytic Spring 2017 Events

Friday February 10th, 11am- 1pm
GC, CUNY, The Committee for Interdisciplinary Science Studies, Room 5307

Roundtable Discussion: “Women in Philosophy: Publishing, Jobs, and Fitting In”

Speakers:
Elise Crull (City College)
Una Stojnik (NYU)
Denise Vigani (Drew College)

Friday March 10th, 10am- 12pm
NYU, Philosophy Department, Room 202

Speaker: Romina Padró (The Saul Kripke Center, GC, CUNY)
Title to be confirmed

Friday April 21st, 10am- 12pm
NYU, Philosophy Department, Room 202

Speaker: Winner of the SWIP-Analytic Essay Prize (TBD)

Friday May 5th, 11am- 13pm
GC, CUNY (Room TBA).

Speaker: Alyssa Ney (UC Davies)
“Physics and Fundamentality”