The Metaphysics of Ceteris Paribus Laws

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Sunday, 07 October 2007 04:47

Markus Schrenk, The Metaphysics of Ceteris Paribus Laws, Ontos, 2007, 192pp., $79.00 (hbk), ISBN 9783938793428 Max Kistler: "The question is whether laws of nature can have exceptions. There seems to be an urgent need for a concept of laws that allow for exceptions, particularly so as to understand so-called special sciences like biology or psychology. Certain dysfunctional haemoglobin molecules, such as haemoglobin M, do not form bonds with oxygen, although it is a law of biochemistry that haemoglobin does form such bonds (see p. 136). The challenge is to understand how a universal generalisation can express a law and nevertheless be compatible with exceptions. This seems paradoxical: it is generally considered to be necessary for a statement to express a law of nature that it be strictly universal and true. " more

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