Maxwell–Boltzmann Statistics And The Metaphysics Of Modality

摘要: Two arguments have recently been advanced that Maxwell-Boltzmann particles areindistinguishable just like Bose–Einstein and Fermi–Dirac particles. Bringing modalmetaphysics to bear on these shows ontological indistinguishabilityfor classical (MB) does not follow. The first argument, resting symmetryin the occupation representation for all three cases, fails since peculiar correlationsexist in quantum (BE FD) context as harbingers of ontic indistinguishability,while indistinguishability remains purely epistemic. secondargument, deriving from limits statistical partition functions,embodies a conceptual confusion. After clarifying doctrine haecceitism, thirdargument is considered attempts deflate metaphysical concerns altogether byshowing phase-space distribution-space representations MB-statisticshave contrary haecceitistic import. Careful analysis this argument fail well,leaving de re modality unproblematically grounding particle identity classicalcontext while genuine puzzlement about underlying ontology quantumstatistics.