Physical Reality – Construction or Discovery?: An Introduction to the Methodology and Aims of Physics

This book offers a well-grounded account of the methodology of physics, the structure of physical knowledge and theories, and in particular of the relations between theory and experience. An important feature of the book is that all its essential conclusions are elucidated with the help of representative examples from theoretical, molecular and solid state physics. The comprehensively revised new edition provides, beside further examples and additions, numerous text restructurings and shortenings that focus on the basic argumentation. This particularly applies to the section on theoretical methodology, the section on axiomatization and the conception of closed theories, the section with the definition, status and methodological function of physical laws, and section on the methods of consistent adjustment. Overall, these improvements will contribute to a more readable text and a better understanding of the basic arguments.