How to distinguish between indistinguishable particles

TL;DR

This paper introduces order-preserving dynamics from statistical mechanics as an empirically testable method that distinguishes haecceistic from anti-haecceistic interpretations of indistinguishable particles, supporting the existence of de re modality.

Contribution

It presents order-preserving dynamics as a novel, empirically testable approach that demonstrates haecceistic differences in the behavior of indistinguishable particles.

Findings

Order-preserving dynamics is intrinsically haecceistic.

It predicts different experimental outcomes than non-haecceistic models.

Supports the empirical existence of de re modality.

Abstract

A long and intense debate in philosophy is concerned with the question whether there can be haecceistic differences between possible worlds, that is, nonqualitative differences that only arise from different de re representations. According to haecceitism, it can give rise to a different situation if the positions of two qualitatively identical particles are exchanged, while according to anti-haecceitism, this is not the case. It has been suggested that classical statistical mechanics might provide evidence for one of these positions. However, most philosophers of physics argue that it does not. In this article, we show that order-preserving dynamics, a novel method from statistical mechanics developed for the description of nonergodic systems, changes this situation: It is intrinsically haecceistic and makes different experimental predictions than non-haecceistic alternatives. Thereby, it provides an empirical argument for the existence of modality de re.