Table of Contents

Introduction Part I: Are there laws of nature?; What are the laws of nature?; Ideal science: David Lewis's account of laws; Necessity, worlds, and chance; Universals: Laws grounded in nature; Part II: Belief as rational but lawless: Inference to the best explanation: Salvation by Laws?; Towards a new epistemology; What if there are no laws? A manifesto; Part III: Symmetry as guide to theory: Introduction to the Semantic approach; Symmetry arguments in
science and metaphysics; Symmetries guiding modern science; Part IV: Symmetry and the illusion of logical probability: Indifference: The symmetries of probability; Symmetries of probability
kinematics; Notes; Bibliography; Index

Reviews

`innovative if not provocative
Philosophical Quarterly of Israel, Vol 22, No 3-5 Dec 93
`a marvelously clear and incisive exposition of the problems facing definitions of laws of nature
The Philosophical Review, Vol 102, No 3 (July 1993)
`the real excitement and power of the book comes from the new perspective it brings.' Times Higher Education Supplement
`I wholeheartedly recommend this book. There are many things to be learnt from it, not least its incisive criticisms of "more metaphysical" theories of laws. The work is executed with great erudition and panache.'
Peter Menzies, Australian National University