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Laws, meta-laws, and hydrogenic symmetries: Adapting Lange's account
1Syracuse University, 541 Hall of Languages, Syracuse NY 13244, United States of America.
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The symmetries of the humble hydrogen atom illustrate the importance of graded modal reasoning in science. By seemingly functioning as meta-laws, these symmetry principles create pressure for any philosophical account of nomological reasoning to accommodate graded modal claims. Marc Lange's account of laws elegantly captures the hierarchical structure of reasoning in terms of laws and meta-laws. However, Lange's account requires commitment to primitive counterfactuals in reality. To avoid this commitment, I develop an empiricist-friendly, expressivist reconstrual of Lange's framework. Applying this to scientists' claims about the hydrogen atom, I show one way empiricists can vindicate graded modal claims while avoiding substantial metaphysical commitments.
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