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Rating: 
Summary: A good but difficult book.
Review: This book is intended to people who already have some knowledge of quantum field theory (QFT), at least in a qualitative level. Someone who has never read or listened anything about the matter will have serious difficults to follow the ideas contained in the book. A previous knowledge of philosophy is not so necessary but maybe desirable because it is exhaustively discuted and, in general, the required concepts are explained inside the text. However, the text begins to become more and more complicated and, sometimes, boring as the philosophical discussions, which englobe Kant, Humes, Leibnitz and others, become deeper. The book will interest people who wants to study the philosophy of QFT, but do not expect to acquire mathematical or technical knowledge about the matter except for some good appendices that try to explain in a relatively simple way things as fiber bundles and probability measures. In summary, it is neither a technical book in QFT nor a book for the public in general, it is a primary serious attempt to fit QFT in a philosophical framework. It is worth to read, but only if you are prepared for a very difficult task..
Rating: 
Summary: A refreshing alternative to the usual philosophical doctrine
Review: This book, very insightful into the intricacies of quantum field theory, is not based on what one might call the "standard assumption" of the philosophy of science, namely that science has an underlying foundation, that it is in a sense a derived collection of knowledge that needs "justification" philosophically. Indeed, the usual attitude in the philosophy of science is that a theory is only "possible" if its formalism is laid bare and shown to satisfy some essential philosophical assumptions. The predictions of a theory are not by themselves its justification, as this would presuppose too much of a "commonsense" attitude, and such an attitude is eschewed by philosophers of science. But of course there is another outlook on science that is not held by any of the modern doctrines in the philosophy of science. This is one in which science is not assumed to need an underlying philosophical justification, that it is its own justification, and the goal of philosophy should be in discovering what this assumption says about philosophy. For example, what theories of mind and reality are entailed by quantum field theory? Do the invariance principles used in quantum field theory say anything about epistemology? Quantum field theory is rich in concepts and uses very sophisticated mathematical constructions, and it has, via the ingenuity of experimentalists, resulted in real predictions that are as of yet unrivaled by any other physical theory. Can one build an interesting philosophical structure, complete with a metaphysics and a nontrivial epistemology, using the assumptions and structure of quantum field theory? In large measure, the author of this book does take this approach, and she is clearly not attempting to justify quantum field theory from the standpoint of the standard assumption. This is a unique and refreshing approach, and the book is a highly interesting one, as one can gain, as a bare minimum, a siginificant amount of understanding into the subtleties of quantum field theory. In addition, the analysis that the author has given is a positive one for quantum field theory. She assumes the existence of what could be characterized as 'epistemic fixed points' (my words here) in our ability to categorize phenomena in the microrealm. Also, she argues, a philosophical foundation for quantum field theory must deal with their success in actual practice. The author assumes from the start that quantum field theory gives us knowledge of the microrealm, and answers to the questions of the meaning of objects in this realm can be found within the theory of quantum fields itself. And, even more refreshing, she states that quantum field theory still requires the assistance of common sense, in order to apply the theory and derive meaning from experimental data. The author has indeed done a fine job here, and has given the scientific and philosophical community a book that is an alternative to the usual philosophical standards. She describes and justifies a reality that humans can indeed understand via the framework of quantum field theory. This understanding takes place with concepts and constructions that might at first seem alien from a 'classical' perspective, but when one puts on the right epistemic glasses, things become clearer and the seemingly odd behavior in the microrealm becomes very natural and philosophically sound.
Rating:
Summary: A refreshing alternative to the usual philosophical doctrine
Review: This book, very insightful into the intricacies of quantum field theory, is not based on what one might call the "standard assumption" of the philosophy of science, namely that science has an underlying foundation, that it is in a sense a derived collection of knowledge that needs "justification" philosophically. Indeed, the usual attitude in the philosophy of science is that a theory is only "possible" if its formalism is laid bare and shown to satisfy some essential philosophical assumptions. The predictions of a theory are not by themselves its justification, as this would presuppose too much of a "commonsense" attitude, and such an attitude is eschewed by philosophers of science. But of course there is another outlook on science that is not held by any of the modern doctrines in the philosophy of science. This is one in which science is not assumed to need an underlying philosophical justification, that it is its own justification, and the goal of philosophy should be in discovering what this assumption says about philosophy. For example, what theories of mind and reality are entailed by quantum field theory? Do the invariance principles used in quantum field theory say anything about epistemology? Quantum field theory is rich in concepts and uses very sophisticated mathematical constructions, and it has, via the ingenuity of experimentalists, resulted in real predictions that are as of yet unrivaled by any other physical theory. Can one build an interesting philosophical structure, complete with a metaphysics and a nontrivial epistemology, using the assumptions and structure of quantum field theory? In large measure, the author of this book does take this approach, and she is clearly not attempting to justify quantum field theory from the standpoint of the standard assumption. This is a unique and refreshing approach, and the book is a highly interesting one, as one can gain, as a bare minimum, a siginificant amount of understanding into the subtleties of quantum field theory. In addition, the analysis that the author has given is a positive one for quantum field theory. She assumes the existence of what could be characterized as 'epistemic fixed points' (my words here) in our ability to categorize phenomena in the microrealm. Also, she argues, a philosophical foundation for quantum field theory must deal with their success in actual practice. The author assumes from the start that quantum field theory gives us knowledge of the microrealm, and answers to the questions of the meaning of objects in this realm can be found within the theory of quantum fields itself. And, even more refreshing, she states that quantum field theory still requires the assistance of common sense, in order to apply the theory and derive meaning from experimental data. The author has indeed done a fine job here, and has given the scientific and philosophical community a book that is an alternative to the usual philosophical standards. She describes and justifies a reality that humans can indeed understand via the framework of quantum field theory. This understanding takes place with concepts and constructions that might at first seem alien from a 'classical' perspective, but when one puts on the right epistemic glasses, things become clearer and the seemingly odd behavior in the microrealm becomes very natural and philosophically sound.
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