Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-21-2024
Abstract
I suggest that the current situation in quantum field theory (QFT) provides some reason to question the universal validity of ontological reductionism. I argue that the renormalization group flow is reversible except at fixed points, which makes the relation between large and small distance scales quite symmetric in QFT, opening up at least the technical possibility of a non-reductionist approach to QFT. I suggest that some conceptual problems encountered within QFT may potentially be mitigated by moving to an alternative picture in which it is no longer the case that the large supervenes on the small. Finally, I explore some specific models in which a form of non-reductionism might be implemented, and consider the prospects for future development of these models.
Recommended Citation
Adlam, E. Quantum field theory and the limits of reductionism. Synthese 204, 80 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-024-04734-5
Peer Reviewed
1
Copyright
The author
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
This article was originally published in Synthese, volume 204, in 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-024-04734-5