The empirical successes of atomic nuclear and particle physics have not reduced -- and may
never fully resolve -- the philosophical controversies about the inner constitution of matter.
This book examines these debates by exploring the particle concept in physics. Are the
particles of modern physics real or are they fictitious entities their existence deduced
merely by the careless application of abstract theories? Or are the philosophers involved in
the debate about scientific realism dedicating themselves to a problem that has long been
solved by physicists? Studies of the experimental basis and theoretical relevance of the
particle concept reveal that these questions are far from easy to answer because since the
introduction of quantum theory physical science no longer possesses a single unambiguous
particle concept. All those interested in the true meaning of such physical concepts will find
this book informative and thought provoking. It is written at a level accessible to scholars
students and teachers of science and philosophy.
