Papers
Research
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CV
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Lorenzo Lorenzetti/
Papers

Papers

Publications

[7] Two Forms of Functional Reductionism in Physics, Synthese (2024) — A comprehensive guide to functional reduction as a model for reduction in physics. I review the Lewisian account and propose an alternative approach called Semantic Functional Reduction, taking the reduction of thermodynamic entropy as a case study. [Publisher; Preprint]
[7] Two Forms of Functional Reductionism in Physics, Synthese (2024) — A comprehensive guide to functional reduction as a model for reduction in physics. I review the Lewisian account and propose an alternative approach called Semantic Functional Reduction, taking the reduction of thermodynamic entropy as a case study. [Publisher; Preprint]
[6] Effective Ontic Structural Realism, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (2023) (with James Ladyman) — We argue that Ontic Structural Realism can provide a reformulation and unification of different ‘effective realist’ proposals about scientific theories in terms of realism about modal structure and the idea of scale relativity of ontology. [Publisher; Preprint; BJPS Short Read]
[6] Effective Ontic Structural Realism, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (2023) (with James Ladyman) — We argue that Ontic Structural Realism can provide a reformulation and unification of different ‘effective realist’ proposals about scientific theories in terms of realism about modal structure and the idea of scale relativity of ontology. [Publisher; Preprint; BJPS Short Read]
[5] Functionalism, Reductionism, and Levels of Reality, Philosophy of Science (2023) — I raise a puzzle for the Lewisian approach to functional reduction, based on the tension between identity and asymmetry within the account. Then, I propose a solution to dissolve the tension. [Publisher; PhilPapers]
[5] Functionalism, Reductionism, and Levels of Reality, Philosophy of Science (2023) — I raise a puzzle for the Lewisian approach to functional reduction, based on the tension between identity and asymmetry within the account. Then, I propose a solution to dissolve the tension. [Publisher; PhilPapers]
[4] Functionalising the Wavefunction, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science (2022) — I present a functional reductionist account of macroscopic entities in the context of ‘Wave Function Realism’, to explain how to recover macroscopic entities out of the wavefunction. [Publisher; PhilPapers]
[4] Functionalising the Wavefunction, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science (2022) — I present a functional reductionist account of macroscopic entities in the context of ‘Wave Function Realism’, to explain how to recover macroscopic entities out of the wavefunction. [Publisher; PhilPapers]
[3] Structuralist Approaches to Bohmian Mechanics, Synthese (2022) — I discuss the application of structuralist metaphysics to the ontology of Bohmian mechanics, in connection with both OSR and metaphysical coherentism. [Publisher; PhilPapers]
[3] Structuralist Approaches to Bohmian Mechanics, Synthese (2022) — I discuss the application of structuralist metaphysics to the ontology of Bohmian mechanics, in connection with both OSR and metaphysical coherentism. [Publisher; PhilPapers]
[2] A Refined Propensity Account for GRW Theory, Foundations of Physics (2021) — I present a dispositionalist approach to GRW theory, to account for the objective probabilities postulated by the theory and give an ontological account of the wave function. [Publisher; PhilPapers]
[2] A Refined Propensity Account for GRW Theory, Foundations of Physics (2021) — I present a dispositionalist approach to GRW theory, to account for the objective probabilities postulated by the theory and give an ontological account of the wave function. [Publisher; PhilPapers]
[1] Humean Supervenience and Tripartite Entanglement Relations, Axiomathes (2020) — I discuss an unexplored tension between Humean Supervenience and quantum mechanics, based on the existence of tripartite entanglement relations such as GHZ states. [Publisher; PhilPapers]
[1] Humean Supervenience and Tripartite Entanglement Relations, Axiomathes (2020) — I discuss an unexplored tension between Humean Supervenience and quantum mechanics, based on the existence of tripartite entanglement relations such as GHZ states. [Publisher; PhilPapers]

Work in Progress

  • “Making Sense of Gravitational Thermodynamics”: a paper on the thermodynamics of astrophysical systems. [Draft]
  • “The Justification Gap Problem for Theory Reduction”: a paper raising a challenge for theory reduction and advocating for integrating functionalism within reduction to solve the issue. [Draft]
  • A (co-authored) paper on functional reduction in biochemistry, taking the reduction of vitamins as a case study.

PhD Thesis

My PhD thesis titled “Functional Reduction in the Physical Sciences” can be accessed here.