READING SEMINAR IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF STATISTICAL PHYSICS

Purpose of the course: The aim of the course is to make the students familiar with the philosophical foundations of statistical physics, such as the different notions of probability applied in statistical mechanics, the nature of statistical explanation, the role of ergodicity, the problem of the direction of time, and its relation to the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

Prerequisites for the course: The course is self-contained; it has no specific prerequisites.

Course schedule: We are going to pick papers from the reading list of David Wallace: here

Background literature:

• Lawrence Sklar: Physics and Chance, Philosophycal Issues in the Foundations of Statistical Mechanics (Cambridge University Press, 1993).
• Jos Uffink: ''Compendium of the Foundations of Classical Statistical Physics,'' in: Jeremy Butterfield and John Earman (eds.): Philosophy of Physics (Elsevier, 2007).
• Jos Uffink: ''Bluff your way with the Second Law of Thermodynamics,'' Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 32, 305-394.
  
• Jeremy Butterfield: Philosophy of Thermal Physics, ps.
  
• Roman Frigg: A Field Guide to Recent Work on the Foundations of Statistical Mechanics, here.
  
• David Albert: Time and Chance (Harvard University Press, 2000).