Symbolic constructions in quantum field theory
pp. 403-413
in: Michel Bitbol, Pierre Kerszberg, Jean Petitot (eds), Constituting objectivity, Berlin, Springer, 2009Abstract
The aim of this short essay is to show that the view of physics as a symbolic construction of nature is specially suitable for the examination of epistemic problems of modern particle physics. We point out that the awareness of these problems arose already with the foundation of classical electrodynamics. Then we give a short description of salient features of quantum field theory, and finally we show the adequacy of the symbolic approach in some relevant cases.