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(2014) Synthese 191 (16).
Philosophical perspectives on ad hoc hypotheses and the higgs mechanism
Simon Friederich, Robert Harlander, Koray Karaca
pp. 3897-3917
We examine physicists’ charge of ad hocness against the Higgs mechanism in the standard model of elementary particle physics. We argue that even though this charge never rested on a clear-cut and well-entrenched definition of “ad hoc”, it is based on conceptual and methodological assumptions and principles that are well-founded elements of the scientific practice of high-energy particle physics. We further evaluate the implications of the recent discovery of a Higgs-like particle at the CERN’s Large Hadron Collider for the charge of ad hocness against the Higgs mechanism.
Publication details
DOI: 10.1007/s11229-014-0504-4
Full citation:
Friederich, S. , Harlander, R. , Karaca, K. (2014). Philosophical perspectives on ad hoc hypotheses and the higgs mechanism. Synthese 191 (16), pp. 3897-3917.
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